


Reckless

by KayteeBarnes



Series: Reckless [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. References, Alpha Steve Rogers, Anger, Angst and Feels, Eventual Romance, F/M, Hydra (Marvel), Marvel Universe, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, SHIELD, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-01
Updated: 2015-06-22
Packaged: 2018-02-15 17:43:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 68,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2237826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayteeBarnes/pseuds/KayteeBarnes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set post CATWS, Bucky is working for the newly rebuilt 'Shield' training agents in combat. He is assigned a troubled, rebellious ex Hydra agent Zara Jones to try and get through to. Things go from bad to worse when Zara gets back on Hydras radar and loyalties are tested...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Started another fic... Just because! Hope you enjoy it, not really sure I'll keep going or not, it came to me in a dream like most of my stories do, so I'll see where it takes me. I figured a lot of stories are trying to fix Bucky - maybe this time Bucky can try and fix someone else <3  
> Hope you enjoy! xx

  
  
Zara stood on the wooden coffee table and leaned against her apartment window. It was the kind that only opened a little at the top, and if she wanted to have a cigarette, that was the only place she could blow her smoke without setting off the detectors.  
There was no smoking in the rooms, but she wasn't allowed outside the building so she didn't see another option.  
  
 _Fuck them..._  
  
She blew the last breath of smoke out threw the window into the night air, dropped the butt onto the table, and stepped on it with the toe of her cherry red Doc Martins. She looked at her watch and grinned, five minutes before she was due to leave. She was sneaking into Sam's apartment - she was another ex-hydra agent that had been pulled from the rubble that day. The two girls were both around the same age - 22 and 23 respectively and they had become fast friends in the time they'd been at Shield.  
They both hated Steve Rogers and all his little Avenger buddies, and had both been uncooperative and rebellious from the get go. In Zara's opinion, Steve thought because him and his Winter Soldier friend had rescued the girls, that he owned them. They weren't allowed to leave the Shield building and they were expected to work for Shield. Like _HELL_ that was happening.  
  
 

  
  
Zara had been an ordinary kid, grew up in an ordinary neighborhood, with ordinary parents. Her Mom and Dad both worked across town - her Mom a teacher, and her Dad a computer technician. They'd never bothered moving as they lived on a great street where everyone was like a big happy family.  
Zara's parents had been the kind that pushed her straight into sports at a young age. She'd done gymnastics at a high level, acrobatics, target shooting, archery and Martial arts. Her Dad had even pulled a few strings to get her into a driving academy when she was only 14 and by the time she was old enough for her learners permit, she'd done 5 advanced driving certificates. She was an only child - typical over achiever and top of her class in everything she did.  
  
When she turned 17 she was pulled from her bed in the middle of the night by two men in black combat gear. She had never been more terrified in her life, added to the fact that her parents were apparently in on it. Her Mom stood beaming proudly at her, holding a suitcase, while her Dad gagged her and pulled a black bag over her head. The man that pulled her out of bed held her while all this went on, and when she struggled, he'd yelled at her to shut up, and hit her, knocking her out.  
She'd woken up in a room she didn't recognize. It was lit with harsh fluorescent lighting. From then on she'd been told her parents were Hydra agents, and she was one of many kids that had been raised the same, bred to become soldiers.  
For the next 5 years she trained with them against her will, when they turned 21 the best of them were to be selected to be injected with the serum and become Assets...

  
  
Zara stood in front of the mirror, adding another layer of black eyeliner and swiping on some red lipstick. She was good to go. She gave her long, dark hair a fluff up, and pulled on her overcoat, which she had hidden a couple of flasks of Jack Daniels in. She grinned to herself again.  
She picked her door lock easily enough and slipped out, silently making her way up the hallway, down 2 flights of stairs, and to Sam's room, picking that lock too, letting herself in.  
"I got the goods" She said to her friend as she pulled the door shut quietly, locking it again. Sam grinned back to her, and pulled a bottle from her dresser drawer.  
"So do I, Z baby!" The girls both laughed together and took a long swig out of their bottles. Zara shrugged out of her coat and let her shoulders drop and relax.  
"Skinny jeans, Doc Martins and a tight little band shirt... Errrr, the 90's called..." Sam teased, met by Zara's laughter.  
"This is actually one of your shirts." Zara said  
"I thought so, I have excellent taste."  
The night wore on and of course things got rowdy as they tend to do when alcohol is involved  with the two laughing and carrying on together.  
The two went silent when they heard the jingle of keys outside her door. Zara darted under the bed and Sam stashed the bottles, whipping out a magazine to pretend to read it. She made a point at laughing loudly at whatever she was supposed to be reading. It was Steve at the door. The metal-arm guy behind him.  
  
 _Ah, shit..._  
  
He looked at her and suspiciously narrowed his eyes.  
"The gig is up, Sam. Where is she?" He demanded. Metal-arm guy started opening and closing cupboards looking for Zara, even looking under the bed. She must have hidden under all the junk that had been shoved under there...  
"I dunno whaaaat you're talking about" She slurred right back.  
"You're drunk!?!?"  
"Don't be jealous, Steeeeeevie boy!"  
With that he grabbed her by the arm and angrily yanked her to her feet.  
"Damn it, WHERE IS SHE!? I won't ask again!" Steve roared at her.  
"Gone. She left." Sam lied.  
"You're coming with me." He said, dragging her out of the room. She was going in a cell to sober up and they would both be dealt with in the morning. "Bucky - go and find the other one. I'm so done with this _bullshit_!"  
With that Bucky darted out of the room and Steve dragged Sam out by her arm.  
"Give em HELL, Zeeeeeee baaaaaybeeee" Sam's voice echoed down the corridor. Zara had to cover her mouth to stifle a giggle.  
She stayed there for a good 5 minutes before she mustered up the courage to crawl out and stand up. She laughed silently at herself and she struggled to stay upright. She snuck out of the room quietly and tip-toed up the hallway to the stairwell. She stumbled into her room and flopped down onto the bed, face first, and fell asleep.  
Bucky was sat across the room on her couch, waiting for her. He shook his head, and called Steve to let him know.  
"Leave her there, sounds like she's out for the count. Lock her in the room, I'll get someone to deal with them in the morning. I'm washing my hands of these two, I'm done." and with that he had hung up. Bucky looked the girl up and down and let out an exasperated sigh. He left the room, locking the door from the outside on the way out.  
  
  
  
"Rise and shine, sweetheart" Came the voice of a Shield agent as he gave Zara a shake. Her arm shot under her pillow and thrust a dagger at the man at lightening speed.  
His hands shot up, defensively.  
"I don't know HOW many times I tell you people... I don't like being woken up, especially by strangers!" She growled.  
"Drop the fucking knife or I'll tranq you" He warned, holding up a small pistol. She rolled her eyes and let the dagger fall to the floor.  
"Get in the shower, and get your uniform on. You're wanted for disciplinary action this morning. You have ten minutes. I suggest you hurry up, you don't want to make things any worse. I'll wait outside your door. Knock when you're ready."  
  
 _Aah fuck... This could be bad..._  
  
She showered quickly, scrubbing last night's makeup off and  brushing her teeth. She pulled her uniform on and zipped the front up, threw on some makeup and tied her hair back. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and cringed a little. Her eyes were usually a bright baby blue, today they showed the effects of last night's alcohol-fueled antics. Her head pounded, she took a long drink of water from the bottle on her counter-top before making her way to the front door. She knocked three times on the door as she pulled her boots on and took a deep breath.  
  
Steve and Sam were already in the room waiting. There was a field agent in there with Sam, he must have brought her in. She looked up when Zara walked in, and shot her a smile. Zara smiled back and the two stood together, waiting for their fate.  
"I don't even know where to start with you two" Steve began. "Sneaking out, picking locks, getting DRUNK, lying right to my face..."  
"I tried with you two, I really did. You'd be dead if it wasn't for us, you'd have died in the rubble that day, and we've given you every opportunity to improve yourselves, find your feet and get a fresh start.  
Zara mumbled something to Sam that Steve couldn't make out.  
"What was that!?" He snapped.  
"A fresh start would be a life, outside. Not locked up and being forced into Shield!" Zara said, unafraid to speak up.  
"Yeah, we'll just send two bitter, spiteful ex-Hydra agents out there into the world - who just so happen to be trained killers. Hell, we'll give you a gun and some ammo too while we're at it huh?" Steve said, getting fed up.  
"Oh shut your fucking mouth Rogers, you never gave us a god-damned chance in hell. Scooped the pair of us out of one zoo and locked us in another." Sam snarled at him. She pulled out a knife she had hidden on her and threw it at the field agent, hitting him in the neck.  
"Sammy, NOOO!" Zara cried out but the agent dropped to the ground. Another agent had run in, hurling Zara at the wall and he barged past her, protecting Steve, and he lunged at Sam. She pulled out another dagger and there was a loud snap and then everything went quiet.  
  
Zara sat on the ground where she had been thrown and it took her a few seconds to realize what had happened. Sam was dead, he'd broken her neck.  
"No, no, no, NO!" She scrambled over there, desperately hoping that she was wrong, that Sam was fine. A gun barrel was up against her face, and Steve had grabbed her and pulled her back. Her hands flew over her mouth and she started crying, her only friend was dead, and those fucking Shield bastards had done it. They were no better than Hydra.  
Agents flooded in, and she was dragged away into a very small white room and sat on a chair to wait, alone.  
  
Zara sat in that small white room for what felt like hours. She hadn't moved a muscle, and was absolutely just... Numb. Her hands were cuffed in front of her and they rested on the table she was sat at. If she had of known better, she guessed it had been an interrogation room. She heard the door click, not caring enough to look up to see who it was.  
Steve walked in and sat opposite her. She was pale and shaking, obviously in shock.  
"She's dead." Steve said, not bothering to sugar-coat it. "My field agent, Bryce Tanner, fighting for his life." He said, keeping his voice low. "You planned this." He added.  
"I didn't have anything to do with it. I though we were there for disciplinary action..." She stammered. "She had knives on her, how would I have known? Why wasn't she searched?" She added, letting her bloodshot eyes meet his.  
"They're telling me I should kill you. You're too dangerous to release, and too dangerous to keep." He said, pressing his lips together.  
"Do it then. I'd rather be dead anyway." She said back to him softly.  
"No, we don't do that here. We're not Hydra-"  
"You're no better than Hydra. It's all the same." She cut him off. Steve drew in a sharp breath.  
"Well we lock you away then and throw away the key."  
"You've already done that and look where it got us." She said.  
"What do you want, Zara?" He asked, exasperated.  
"You know what I want, Rogers. I want my freedom. My whole life has been this. Wipe me like they did to The Winter Soldier, and send me on my way." She suggested.  
"We can't do that either, and you know it." He said.  
"Shoot me then. I don't care anymore. I'm done." She said, letting out a breath, and looking back at the tabletop.  
  
Steve decided he believed her for some stupid reason, he was sure he would regret later. He had seen people do awful things and turn their lives around. His best friend had been the perfect example. Bucky hadn't wanted to be a Shield agent. He had fought them every step of the way and the one thing that had brought him through was the compassion of a friend, someone just as broken as he was to show him the light.  
Zara hadn't killed anyone. She had been rebellious, but he was sure she wasn't a bad kid. Steve hadn't been able to get through to her in the few months she's been there, she didn't get along with Natasha, and Tony wasn't interested in even trying. They hadn't bothered with Bucky, who had only settled into his agent training role at Shield in recent months... He was getting quite cocky though, and maybe throwing a spanner in the works would knock him down a peg or two...  
Steve shook the thought off and tried to come up with something else, but the more he avoided it, the more perfect it sounded...  
  
He called for someone to take Zara to a new room with more security and surveillance. He would deliver the news to Bucky the next morning.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a short one for you guys. Setting up for the next one but thought I'd upload what I had so far as It's late :P Enjoy! x

  
Steve was exhausted, it had been a long day after the incident with Sam Watson and Zara Jones. The higher ups had been furious and had replayed the footage taken from the CCTV in that room over and over to work out what had happened. They had decided that Sam had snapped without warning and it was nobody's fault but her own. Nobody could have stopped her in that split second, and the second agent had done the right thing in taking her out once she'd made an attempt on his life as well.  
Zara would be interviewed when she had been deemed fit to discuss it. She had collapsed during the night with grief and they hadn't been able to wake her initially. They had stabilized her and she was in the infirmary, strapped to a bed and locked in the room, she wasn't to be trusted.  
Steve had been called in the early hours of the morning to be informed his field agent who Sam had hit with the knife had not made it through the night. Things had unraveled fast.  
  
He strode across the cafeteria to the coffee machine. Bucky was sitting at one of the tables where he was every morning after his gym time. He looked up and Steve and smiled softly, nodding to acknowledge his friend. Steve poured himself a coffee and went to sit next to Bucky. They sat in silence for a while before Steve finally spoke up.  
"He died last night." He said. Bucky lowered his gaze, and rested his hand on Steve's shoulder for a moment. He was still having trouble with emotional interaction from his days as The Soldier, but Steve understood he was trying to show support. He'd had filled Bucky in on the incident the day before, after it had all happened. Bucky wasn't a great talker, but he was a good listener, and Steve was thankful to have him there.  
"How is the girl?" Bucky asked. Steve blew out a breath and sat up.  
"Completely shut off." He said. "Collapsed last night, they've got her awake this morning, sitting up, moving around but she's completely unresponsive to anyone. Won't talk to anyone, won't even LOOK at anyone. It's like she's just checked out and left her body on autopilot...I don't know what to do. Fury says they're my problem, the Hydra girls. Well, girl. I couldn't do a damn thing with them, even Nat tried and got nowhere... The kid damn near begged me to shoot her yesterday, Buck."  
Bucky sat back with a thoughtful look on his face and ran his hand through his hair, letting out a breath.  
"I suppose you're going to ask me to step up to the plate, aren't you?" He finally said.  
"I guess you have the advantage of knowing where she's coming from, what she's seen or been through at Hydra..."  
"Steve, I don't know. I'm just getting myself back together... I'm not a babysitter, or a shrink" Bucky said, frustrated.  
"That's my point - you've just been through it all, it might be good for the both of you. Even if you agree to have her in one of your training sessions with the new recruits? She could stay up the back." He said convincingly. "Come on, Buck. She's got nothing else. Just a blank canvas with nothing but a whole lotta fight training and anger. Might even give you a good run for your money." He added.  
Bucky blew out a breath and rolled his eyes.  
"I'm sorry Buck. I shouldn't have asked. She might be small but she sure packs a punch. A few of the other guys and I thought she might be a bit much for you to handle anyway..." Steve shrugged. Bucky shot him an angry look. He'd hit just the right nerve.  
"New recruits start next week. Tell her to suit up." He said as he stood. "You're a sly bastard..."  
  
  
Over the next few days Steve had dropped in to visit Zara. She looked pale and thin and was still yet to say a single word.  
She had refused to eat until the nurse had threatened to tie her down and tube her, and then it had taken a few more days to get some color back in her face. She was looking brighter than she had been at the start of the week by this stage, and it was then that Steve told her she would be joining Bucky's class. She had ignored him but it was understood that it was not negotiable.  
She'd been assigned a recruit uniform which was basically black combat pants and combat boots, along with a fitted T-shirt. Almost the same as she had worn at Hydra, only this time with Shield logos. She wasn't happy about this whole thing, but she figured the best thing to do was to shut her mouth, do what they wanted and when she earned their trust she'd split.  
  
It was Monday morning. Zara sat herself up in bed - it was a relief not to be strapped down anymore. She made a mental note to herself to behave to avoid being restrained again. She showered, and pulled her uniform on. She tied her hair into a high ponytail and brushed her teeth. One of the female nurses had brought over some of her stuff, and her makeup bag was in there.  
  
 _Oh well, just because I FEEL like shit, doesn't mean I have to LOOK like shit..._  
  
Sam would have wanted her to go in and kick ass today, so that's what she was going to do. Hopefully she could put some of those recruits in their place, and that smug prick Bucky Barnes, too.  
Steve Rogers came to walk her down the hall to the training room. They were there early. He let her in and told her to go find a spot on the floor. He'd be back when the class finished. She felt like a child again.  
There were a couple of girls around her age standing in the corner gossiping about something. Zara put her gym bag up against the opposite wall and did some stretches. She hadn't lost much flexibility from her gymnastics days, this caught the eye of the girls in the corner who stopped to stare at her, and then turn back to giggle to each other.  
Zara made her mind up that both of those pretty blonde girls would leave this room looking a whole less prettier if she got paired with either of them. It was like high-school all over.  
  
Another four girls arrived over the next few minutes and found their spots on the floor. There were 7 in total, including Zara. They were all pretty military-barbie types, and when Bucky strutted into the room she watched them all swoon.  
  
 _Oh dear lord... Let the games begin._  
  
Bucky started by introducing himself, and going around the room getting everyone to say their name, one by one. Zara smiled to herself, finding the situation quite funny. She would enjoy this very much. She was obviously the odd one out and everyone knew it.  
Bucky started by showing them a few basic things like a fight stance and a couple of punches. Zara played along with it with a smug smile on her face. One girl up the front looked like she was getting the moves wrong to get Bucky's attention and it had worked.  
  
 _Ahh, we have a teachers pet! That's right, bat your eyes, princess._  
  
Bucky looked up at Zara and caught her trying to stifle a laugh. He narrowed his gaze at her, as if daring her.  
"Miss Jones, can you come up the front please? I'd like you to help me demonstrate a move. I understand you've done some martial arts before?" He called across the room, beckoning her with his finger. She smiled smugly and sauntered across the room to stand and face him.  
"Stand back girls" He said to the front row, and they all jumped back a few paces. Zara blew out a breath and raised her eyebrow, exasperated.  
He explained to the class about the four basic types of punches - jab, hook, cross and uppercut. He had Zara demonstrate them as well and as much as he'd hated to admit, she was good. The exercise was going to be blocking and dodging the punches.  
"Okay Zara, you're going to attack me, and I'm going to defend myself by blocking and ducking." He said to her. She nodded and raised her fists. "When you're ready" He added.  
A crooked smile crossed her face, she was going to enjoy this.  
  
She threw a couple of jabs to test him which he blocked, followed by the cross. When he blocked that she threw an uppercut with her other hand sent a hook hard into his ribs.  
"Well done" He said, letting out a cough. "Again."  
  
This time she went a bit harder and fought a bit dirtier. She distracted him by going for his face, and then she spun, dropping to the ground and putting her leg out to trip him. He hit the ground with a thud, landing on his back but springing straight back up with his hands to land on his feet again. He stepped into her and attacked her back.  
  
 _Oh it's on, now!_  
  
A demonstration of the four basic punches, had turned into a sparring match and was escalating into a full on fight. They bounced off the wall a couple of times and ended up on the other side of the room, being watched by 6 sets of very wide eyes with matching open mouths. He needed to make a point and make it quickly. He grabbed her wrist with the next punch she threw and in less than a second spun her into him so her back was hard against his chest, and held her there with his metal arm so she couldn't move. The other arm had pulled a plastic knife from his pocket and stuck it up against her throat.  
She could feel his breath on her neck, and he gave her a squeeze to know he meant business.  
"You're dead." He said, only just loud enough for the class to hear. Applause rang out from the recruits and he let Zara go. He took a bow and had the other recruits pair off and practice their punches.  
He took a swig from his water bottle and walked over to Zara, stopping in front of her to look her up and down. He was trying to intimidate her, and she was trying her best not to look intimidated. She crossed her arms and cocked her head.  
"I thought you'd be faster" She said, letting disappointment show in her voice. He let out a single 'ha!' and crossed his arms, standing as tall as he could.  
"I AM faster." He said, lowering his voice. "Make no mistake about that."  
Bucky sent her off to the punching bag while the rest of the girls paired off and practiced their punches together. Zara had a lot of spunk, she was clearly wasted here in this group. Bucky was dying to push her to see what she could really do. He'd also like to wipe that smug look off her face, but that was a battle meant for another day.  
  
  
She'd let a lot of anger out on the bag, and more than once one of the recruits had stopped to watch her. They had all asked to not be paired with her, and not one of them had spoken to her on the way out.  
She took a swig out of her water bottle and sat on the pile of mats, waiting for Steve to come get her. She gazed out the window, not even bothering to look over at Bucky, much less attempt conversation. He was playing her game right back at her, pretending he couldn't care less if she was there or not. He was seemingly ignoring her while he packed the rest of the gloves and gear away.  
The door opened and it was Steve.  
"How'd she go?" He asked Bucky, out of earshot from Zara.  
"Good. Bit sassy but nothing I can't handle. She can certainly move, much further along than the rest of the girls. They're afraid of her." He said, letting out a chuckle.  
"Talking?" Steve asked.  
"Oh yeah, she's got a mouth on her, alright. Actually I think she'd be better off with some one on one training." Bucky suggested.  
"I dunno, Buck..." Steve had a warning tone in his voice.  
"Seriously. Let me work with her. If it goes to shit, she goes back in with the older recruits. Can't have her hurting one of these inexperienced girls..." He reasoned.  
"Okay, we'll work it out. If it's for the good of the group as well, and you've got time..."  
"Oh I'll make time."  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Zara start training together, Bucky gives her some 'tough-love'

  
  
Zara watched the mechanism on the door click into place as it shut and locked after her.  
She'd been led into another interrogation room to be questioned about Sam. That was the last thing she wanted to talk about, but they were still convinced that she'd had something to do with it. She'd told Steve the truth right froum the start. Sam was a loose cannon and she was spontaneous like that. She'd been a feisty girl with a lot of anger, perhaps that's why they'd gotten along so well. She missed her friend and was not in the mood for this.  
  
_All I want is a fucking shower, and to go to sleep..._  
  
A man in combat gear walked into the room, guarded by two armed field agents. Zara rolled her eyes. He gave her a smug smile and took his sunglasses off, tucking them into his t-shirt neck.  
  
_Are these people fucking serious?_  
  
He dropped a file on the table which landed with a thud, and unwound the string holding it shut. It was Sam's file. Hers was there too, but he'd not opened it yet. He sat oppisite her and began grilling her with questions. She shot a nasty look into the one-way mirror on the wall, she knew full well Steve was standing behind it, watching. He was probably there with Director Fury and god only knows who else.  
She gave short, sharp answers to all their questions, and told the truth. She hadn't been involved in Sam's outburst, nor did she know that is was going to happen. She added that if she had of known Sam was in that room with a hidden knife and a whole lotta rage, she would have chosen NOT to be in there at all.  
They asked her ridiculous things like if she felt bad for the agent who had died, and why didn't she step in and restrain Sam when she'd had the chance.  
The questions continued to come, over and over and Zara had just about had enough. Her hands had clenched into fists, and her jaw was clenching.  
"Getting angry are we, Miss Jones?" He taunted. He was clearly trying to get a rise out of her. She shut her eyes and steadied her breathing. She shot another look into the mirror.  
"Are we done?" Zara said, her voice aggressive now. She was beginning to shake, she wanted out. She'd had enough.  
Right on cue, Steve came in and ended the interrogation. He thanked the man who'd questioned her, and the armored guards. He hoisted Zara up by her arm and led her out of the room, and down the hall.  
"Thank you" She muttered under her breath. Steve nodded back to her and led to to a new room where she'd stay. It was down a couple of levels than the previous room, and it was comfortable and secure. There were still cameras, and she'd be under surveillance until the time was right for her to be taken off it. It was basic, it had a large comfortable bed, an en-suite bathroom, a small table with a chair to eat at, and a couch under the window. There was an intercom built into the wall to call if she needed anything, but it looked like she'd be all set.  
  
When Steve left, the first thing she did was take a hot shower. Her were clothes in the wardrobe, they'd been washed and hung up. She pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a little tank top. It was getting dim with the afternoon sun disappearing and she'd found peace in the low light. She sat on the couch and peered out the window. She drew her knees up and hugged them to her chest, feeling relief wash over her when the tears came out. Sometimes a good cry was just what was needed to release the pressure. She fell asleep where she was and missed the call for dinner. When she woke it was dark, and someone was banging on her door.  
"Hello?" she called through the wall. The door opened and it was none other than Bucky Barnes.  
"You didn't answer the dinner call" Was all he said.  
"Fell asleep." She explained, keeping her tone short.  
"You need to eat. Here, I brought you some food" He said holding up a blue heat-proof bag. He could see she'd been crying but didn't bring it up.  
"Thanks" She said, softening a little. He handed her the bag and gave her a nod when she took it.  
"Don't mention it. Training again tomorrow morning, see you then." And with that he was gone, locking the door behind him. Curiosity got the better of her and she opened the bag. Peering in she found a sealed bowl of hot chicken and veg soup, a large bread roll and a note...  
  
\- You missed dinner! I packed you a few things, hope you like soup. You're training with Bucky tomorrow morning, I'll pick you up at 8am so be ready. Just a casual workout, no uniform needed just wear something comfortable. Oh - look in the side pocket, left you something to cheer you up. -Steve  
  
She peered into the pocket of the bag and there was a bag of jelly beans. She let a small smile cross her lips and sat herself at the small table. The soup was delicious and she hadn't realized how hungry she had been until it was in front of her. She wondered why he had sent Bucky down, probably some psychological positive-association thing... She would make up her own mind about Bucky once she got to know him. Steve seemed like he was trying too hard but then again, he was trying. He'd never done anything wrong by her, she just resented him because he was the reason she'd ended up at Shield, when all she'd wanted when the building at Hydra went down was her freedom.  
  
  
It had been a cold day that day. Zara had been at the Hydra base since she was 17 and all she wanted was to get out. The recruits were locked in cells, and only let out to train or to study. There was camaraderie around the juniors, and much like in jails, there was always that person who could get information, that person who could get banned items in, and that crazy risk-taker.  
Between the small group of them they knew the shifts of their wardens,  they even had an insider - one kid who was working to become an IT specialist who had earned the trust of his superiors. It had taken months to plan and only minutes to carry out.  
They had managed to take out the two wardens, get the IT kid out who then opened the cells. Zara had set an explosive to detonate on a timer, and made a run for it, calling the others to come after her. They'd had to run like hell, and when they'd come to a dead-end, they were sure they'd all die in the explosion. As it turned out they'd found another corridor and ran as fast as they could, hearing the explosion go off, the shock-wave swallowing them up.  
That wing of the facility had been flattened. Zara's memory from that point on was shadowy. She remembered being covered in rubble, but being able to see sunlight through the cracks. The light got brighter and she caught a glimpse of her arm which was very broken and she was covered in blood. She saw bodies and destruction, then when strong arms pulled her out, everything went black. Next thing she knew she was waking up in a hospital room. She tried to escape, and was sedated. It wasn't until weeks later she was told she was at Shield, and she was safe...  
  
  
Zara was up early the next morning in time for the sun to come up. She showered and washed her hair, letting the hot water relax her tense muscles.  
She had enough time to put a french braid in her hair and pluck her brows. She tucked a couple of loose strands behind her ear and giggled to herself thinking she looked very 'Lara Croft'. That is, if Lara had black hair. She pulled on a tight black racer-back tank top, and teamed that with her low-slung purple sweatpants and a pair of trainers.  
She relaxed in her room for half an hour, throwing yesterdays clothes in the hamper and trying to occupy herself when there was a knock at the door.  
"Come in!" She called. It was Steve. He was 10 minutes early, and had come with coffee and a muffin each for them. They sat and ate in the room, Zara was grateful for the coffee - she'd been craving it like mad.  
  
Steve and Zara walked up the hallway together, caught the elevator up to the 5th floor together and made their way to the training room where Bucky was waiting. The first thing she noticed, looking around the room, was that there were no other girls there.  
"Just you and me today" Bucky said as if reading her mind. "Go and stretch, I'll be ready in a minute."  
Steve waved as he left, and Zara went to find a spot on the floor to stretch. She didn't know whether to feel awkward about the one on one thing, or relieved to not be in a room full of bimbos...  
"Ballet dancer?" He asked, nodding over to her.  
"No, I was a gymnast... Among other things." She said flatly.  
"Other things? What else did you do?"  
"Shooting, martial arts, acrobatics, archery, advanced driving. Everything a good Hydra kid should know growing up." She said looking up at him.  
"Hmm" He pressed his lips together, wishing he hadn't said anything. He put his hand out to help her to her feet, which she ignored and stood up on her own. He let out an exasperated sigh.  
They warmed up together and it wasn't long before they were sparring, Bucky coaching her as they went. He didn't hold back like last time in front of the class. He moved a bit quicker, hit a bit harder and was unforgiving when she made mistakes.  
He saw glimpses of her coming out of her shell, she was enjoying this. She appreciated Bucky not going soft with her, and in return she stepped up her game. She took a few hard blows, not letting it rattle her, Bucky was surprised how resilient she actually was. Not only could she take a hit, she was an aggressive fighter and fast, too.  
They went until she was out of breath, and then stopped for a short rest. They both slumped down on the floor, leaning on the wall.  
"At Hydra... Did you ever do missions?" He asked.  
"No, I was in training though. I was in the super soldier program. They had us training to work alongside you... Till DC, then they were training replacements." She explained, taking another drink from her water-bottle.  
"I didn't know they were doing that" He said.  
"Nobody did. We weren't supposed to know, but we had insiders..." She said.  
"I was shortlisted to become your partner..." Her voice trailed off to a whisper. Bucky's lips pressed together and he looked down at the floor, letting out a deep sigh.  
"It's a good thing you got out when you did." He said, his voice solemn.  
The two sat in silence for a few minutes, both thinking about what could have been.  
"I never wanted this life..." She whispered, breaking the silence.  
Bucky stood up, putting his hand out to her. She took it and he pulled her to her feet.  
"Round two" he said, "Don't hold back."  
  
  
After the session Zara felt much better. She had needed to blow off steam and she'd decided Bucky Barnes wasn't too bad a guy after all. Not someone she would call a friend, but she'd tolerate him nonetheless. She said goodbye when Steve came to get her, and he walked her to her room, letting her in and locking the door.  
The next couple of weeks were much the same routine, she trained most days with Bucky, conversation was kept short and impersonal, and then she was taken back to her room. Steve had suggested to the higher-ups that maybe it was time for Zara to be taken out of lock-down and they'd agreed to it, but she'd have to adhere to a curfew.  
She enjoyed the fact that the door wasn't locked, she could walk herself to and from training, and she could even go to the cafeteria to read. She avoided talking to other recruits and agents, keeping to herself as much as she could.  
  
"So, you're Barnes' little protege, huh?" A smug voice came from across her table. She looked up from her tablet and glared at him.  
"Yeah I heard you weren't a big talker..." He trailed off. "Kevin's my name." He announced, flashing a cocky smile.  
"Zara" She replied. "Not really a 'people' person. I don't play well with others, so they put me in training alone." She explained, not really sure why she was bothering.  
"Word on the street is that you're a pretty good fighter?" He tested.  
"Is that a question?" She said dryly.  
  
_Why won't he go away..._  
  
  
"You don't think you can fight?" He asked.  
"I can hold my own"  
"You'd have to, to become a Shield agent."  
"Who said I wanted to become a Shield agent?" She said, getting bored with the conversation now.  
"Word on the street..." There was that line from him again..."I heard Barnes put in a recommendation for you." He said. His brows were up, waiting for a reaction from her.  
"Barnes doesn't know a damn thing about me" She said, shoving her tablet into it's pouch and tucking it under her arm as she stood.  
Kevin stood up at the same time and stepped in, blocking her. She looked up at him and felt her jaw clench.  
"Going so soon?" He teased.  
"Get out of my way, Kevin." She said, keeping her tone low, and taking a deep breath.  
"Or what?" He said, that smug smile creeping across his face.  
  
_Oh if only he knew..._  
  
"Kevin, that's enough!" A voice yelled out across the cafeteria.  
  
_Oh great, of course HE had to show up._  
  
It was Bucky, he was making his way over to them. Zara didn't take her eyes off Kevin, who had stepped in closer to her. She shot Kevin a sinister grin, looking up at him through her eyelashes. His expression was a little less cocky now as Bucky grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back. Zara strode out of the cafeteria, not really wanting to speak to either of them. She could hear Kevin being given a mouthful. Bucky was pissed off.  
Why had Kevin tried to stir her up? Had Bucky really recommended her as an agent? She was furious, this was the very reason that she didn't get along with people, there was always so much bullshit. She picked up her pace, glad to be away from them both.  
  
  
Bucky found her an hour later in front of the punching bag in a dark corner of the gym. She'd just taped up her knuckles and was laying into it, hard enough to make the beam it hung from shake.  
"Hey" Came Bucky's voice.  
She shot him a glare, not bothering to answer him and laid into the bag a little more. He stood in to hold it for her.  
"You need to keep your wrist straighter as you punch, and relax your shoulder-" He was cut off.  
"I know how to fucking punch, Barnes." She snapped at him, giving the bag one last hit before storming off.  
  
_Why can't these people give me a fucking break? I've done everything they've asked of me, I don't even want to be here_  
  
He jogged up behind her and caught her arm, and as he spun her around to talk to him a fist came at his face. He caught it just behind the wrist with his metal hand before it hit him, and he pulled her in. She was not getting away that easy.  
"Calm the fuck down" He said, trying to keep his voice low.  
"Let me go"  
"Calm DOWN" He said again. Her knee came up at him and he deflected that too, pushing her against the wall, roughly, and pinning her there. She struggled against him for a moment and then went still when she realized she was stuck.  
"Is it true?" She said, through gritted teeth. She felt like she was about to cry. She held it back, she wouldn't cry in front of him.  
"Is what true?" He snapped  
"You recommending me!?"  
"Yeah I put a good word in for you. Maybe I shouldn't have bothered"  
"No, you shouldn't have. You knew damn well I didn't want this" She said, her voice breaking.  
"Well it's either that or you sit up in your room all day crying"  
"How fucking DARE you" She spat at him, struggling again. He held her still and his eyes bore into hers.  
"You want your freedom? Well guess what, sweetheart? You'll never be free. Just like I'll never be free. We're two lethally trained, unstable, loose cannons that are a risk out there. If Hydra get us, we're fucked. If AIM get us, we're fucked. If we go rogue - we'll eventually be caught and guess what? Yeah, that's right." He growled, giving her one last shove before letting her go.  
She wiped her eyes, not being able to hold the tears back any longer.  
"Agents get to go outside, agents get to live. Unless you want to be a prisoner all your damn life, then keep going, cuz that's where you're headed and I won't be there to help you." He added. Zara stood, back against the wall still, and her body trembled as she cried.  
"There's no white picket fence for us, Zara. Like it or not this is it. There are worse places to be. We have a roof over our heads, food on the table, and we're safe. Some of us can even be friends if you let us." He finished up, letting his voice soften.  
She looked up at him, acknowledging him, and with a nod he turned and walked out. Zara slid down the wall and the tears came again. She hated how emotional she was, hated how helpless she felt, but more than anything she hated how she knew damn well he was right.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zara meets Coulson's Shield agents and tries out for a spot on the Bus.

It had been a long night for Zara. She hadn't slept with so much on her mind. She needed to pull herself together and snap out of this silly funk she was in. Bucky had offered her a chance at some sort of life, and like it or not he was right. If she did manage to be released, she would be hunted down and targeted. Hydra wouldn't let someone blow a wing off their base and get away with it. She was sure they were after bigger fish than her, but if word got out that she had survived the blast, they would surely be after her. At least at Shied she was safe, and as Bucky had said - food was on the table, a roof was over her head, and friends would be there if she wanted them.  
  
 _Friends..._  
  
The word weighed in her mind. Her only friends up until now had been Hydra agents. Killers. Those of them that had lived long enough through their brutal training and punishment had been killed in the explosion, buried under the rubble. And then there was Sam...  
She shook the thought out of her head. She was never here to make friends, she was here as means to an end. She jammed her eyes shut.  
  
 _Shut up, brain!!_  
  
She pulled on her training clothes and braided her hair, tucking the loose strands behind her ear as she always did. She shoved her water-bottle and towel into her gym bag and headed out, locking the door behind her.  
Bucky was already in the training room, his back was to the door and he was tying his hair back in a ponytail like he always did. She strode in and let her bag drop to the floor in her usual spot. She as hoping Bucky would turn around but he didn't. She had the urge to say something, to apologize for how closed off she had been but she was no good at putting her feelings into words. She gritted her teeth and let out a breath, frustrated at herself. She pulled the tape from her bag and started wrapping her knuckles like she'd been shown, looking up to see Bucky standing there in front of her. He was sneakier than she'd like.  
"Ready to train hard today?" He said, reaching over, pressing the loose end down over the back of her hand. She nodded, looking down at his hand on hers, smoothing the edge of the tape down casually.  
  
 _Now or never..._  
  
"Um, I... About yesterday..." She said, stumbling on her words.  
  
 _Smooth..._  
  
"Forget it. It's fine." He said, breathing out letting a smile cross his lips. She sighed with relief, her shoulders dropping at the same time.  
"Thanks" She said, the faintest shadow of a smile crossing hers.  
They started with some stretches and their usual warmup, followed by some sparring. They stopped for a drink and Bucky explained the next thing they'd try was an actual fight.  
"Don't hold back, I want you to do whatever it takes to take me down." He said. Zara nodded and have her shoulder a stretch.  
"I'm going to come at you, and you're gonna fight me as if your life depended on it. Anything goes for the next 5 minutes. I won't hold back, so if you don't go hard, you'll get hurt." He added, looking into her eyes with a very serious expression on his face.  
"Got it." She said.  
He walked to the oppisite corner of the room and the lights dimmed, it becoming obvious they were being watched.  
Bucky charged at her, moving much quicker than he usually did. He threw a punch which she ducked and rolled to miss, his fist leaving a dent in the wall.  
  
 _Okay this guy means business._  
  
His face was fierce and emotionless, she hadn't seen a look on him since...  
  
 _Shit!_

  
She ducked again, loosing her train of thought, she fought back sending two hard punches into his ribs and kicking him in the stomach, hard, making him fall back. The fight went on and as Bucky got more ruthless, so did Zara. He eventually landed a punch in her ribs when she wasn't quick enough and she coughed. While she was dazed he grabbed her by the arm and flung her across the room into the wall.  
  
 _Holy shit this guy hits like a hammer..._  
  
From the floor he could see her striding over to her. That was when she got angry. She sprung off her hands onto her feet and ran at him, flipping over his head, and pulling him backwards onto the floor by his neck. They both hit the floor, hard, and in half a second Zara had straddled his chest, wrapping one hand around his throat, and punched him hard in the jaw.  
The lights came back on and a door opened. Zara stayed frozen where she was, a bit confused as to what was going on. A man entered the room in a dark grey suit, he was obviously an authority figure with Shield but seemed to have a friendly disposition.  
  
"Good work Sargent Barnes" He said. Zara looked down at Bucky, forgetting for a moment she was on top of him. She got up, putting a hand out to him and helped him to his feet.  
"Miss Jones it's nice to finally meet you. Agent Coulson." Said the man in the suit, extending his hand for her to shake. Zara shook his hand and gave him a smile and a nod.  
"Zara." She said.  
"Barnes told us you could fight, apparently he was right." He said with a chuckle. "We'd like you to come and do some further training if you're interested in becoming an agent with us. We are taking some new recruits on a mission in a few days. It's what we call a 'Dry Run' so no actual danger, but we like to see how you react in situations and handle being out on the field so to speak."  
"Sounds good." She said.  
"Great. We will send the paperwork in and assign you a Supervising Officer. Be ready to leave on Tuesday morning, and in the meantime I'll have someone fill you in on the details." He said, glancing at his watch.  
"Nice to meet you, see you on Tuesday." He said with a smile, and then he was gone.  
  
Bucky and Zara took a deep breath and looked at each other.  
"Nice work!" He finally said. "Are you ok?" He added, pointing to her side where his punch had landed. She rolled up her top and there was a bruise forming.  
"I'll be okay, how's your jaw?" She asked. He gave it a rub and pretended to be in agony, earning a laugh from her.  
"I'll be okay." He said, giving her a smile back. "Come on, we'll go get one of those huge iced chocolate's I saw in the cafeteria to celebrate. My treat." He said to her.  
"How can I say no?" She smiled again.  
  
The week flew past. Much quicker than she would have liked. She had been filled in about Coulson's team, his big plane - 'The Bus' and what would be expected of her as a trainee agent. She hadn't trained with Bucky in a couple of days as he'd been away, but she was hoping he'd somehow turn up so she could thank him before she left. She pulled her cherry red Doc Martins on over her black skinny jeans and straightened her shirt, pulling the sleeves down to her wrists and undoing the top button. She tied her long hair into a high ponytail and swiped some more mascara onto her lashes.  
She looked at her watch, she'd be early if she left now but at least she wouldn't be in a rush nor would she be pacing back and fourth in her room like she was now.  
Zara lifted her duffel bag over her shoulder and opened the door, taking a moment to silently say goodbye to her room - her cell which it had been up until recently.  
A man in a suit was waiting for her in the loading dock, next to a black SUV. Steve had wished her good luck a couple of days ago before him and Bucky headed off on their mission and promised to talk to her soon.  
She took a deep breath and threw her bag into the car and jumped in the back.  
  
It was a long, boring drive. The driver hadn't been talkative but that was just fine by Zara. They pulled into the gates of a small building which opened for them as they approached and closed again behind them. The roller door of the small warehouse went up when the driver entered a card into a reader through the window and they drove in and down a very long ramp, which opened up into a huge underground base. Zara's jaw just about hit the floor.  
They pulled up beside a line of matching SUV's and got out of the car. Zara pulled her bag out with her and slung it over her shoulder as she followed her driver to an elevator. He entered a code into the small screen by the door, and pressed his thumb up against the panel to have it scanned. An electronic chime sounded and the elevator went down. When they got the their floor, the doors on the opposite side of the elevator opened and they stepped out into a massive aircraft hanger.  
Zara's jaw dropped again when she saw The Bus, she'd never seen a plane as big as that, and suddenly she was excited to see more of it. The driver walked her to the ramp, and rang for someone to come out and open the interior doors to let them in.  
She could see a figure coming towards the door, he was tall and built with long hair and a metal-  
  
Bucky!? What the hell was he doing here?  
  
He pressed the button on the door and shot her a wolfish grin.  
"Hi" He said with the cheekiest look on his face like a kid with a secret.  
"Hey! What on Earth are you doing here?" She asked. Bucky looked over his shoulder to see Coulson striding over to them with his usual friendly smile on his face.  
"Zara, nice to see you." He said, shaking her hand. "As you and Sargent Barnes have such a good re-pore, we thought we'd get him to come out as your SO - supervising officer. He'll be here to teach you everything you need to know about being a Shield Agent both on and off the field." He beamed.  
"Sounds good" Zara said, relieved that she'd been assigned to someone she knew.  
"Barnes arrived just a couple of minutes before you so if you'd both like to follow me, I'll show you to your bunks and introduce you to the others." Coulson said, gesturing towards the open door.  
Zara shot Bucky a nervous glance and he gave her a wink, making her chuckle. The 'bunks' were pretty much a room small enough to hold a double bed, and enough space between the bed and the door that you could drop a bag and get changed etc. Bucky's was right next door to hers. They dropped their bags in their rooms and were taken on a tour of the plane.  
  
Fitz and Simmons were two scientists that worked for Shield, both very warm, friendly people who were thrilled to meet Zara and Bucky. A pretty brunette girl about Zara's age bounced excitedly into the room, introducing herself as Skye. She was immediately smitten with Bucky and the three of them had a million questions for him, which Zara could see made him uncomfortable.  
"I'm dying to see the rest!" Zara said, snapping Coulson back into the moment and she was ushered out of the room along with Bucky - who turned and mouthed a 'thank-you' to her. She waved her hand as if to say 'don't mention it' and he smiled to her.  
They were introduced to Agent May, who was a quiet and to-the-point sort of woman. Agent Ward was next, a tall, good looking man with dark hair who took an instant shine to Zara. Him and Bucky shook hands and had a quick chat, obviously sizing each other up.  
  
 _Typical men..._  
  
The plane took off after they all sat, with Agent May piloting. Apparently they were on their way to another Shield base to pick up another recruit who Ward would be in charge of. Skye bombarded them with questions, being a fan of the Howling Commandos and was a bit disappointed when Bucky admitted his memories of those days were scarce. He filled her in on what he could, but the rest was only what he'd read or been told. Zara sat beside Bucky and kept fairly quiet through the trip, only speaking when spoken to and generally trying to behave herself.  
The plane landed an hour later and they were told there would be a short wait but the new recruit was on his way.  
Coulson had asked Agent Ward to run through some training drills with Zara and Skye. Skye was less than impressed about this, obviously there was some bad blood between her and Ward.  
Zara watched as the two of them went over some basic defensive maneuvers and it wasn't long before Skye was taking cheap shots and trying to hurt him. Some of the other agents had wandered over, clearly not wanting to miss these two hashing it out.  
"He used to be her SO" A soft British voice whispered in Zara's ear.  
"USED to be, huh?" Zara said.  
"Long story, but there was some bad blood, and he went away for a little while. They have only just barely started talking again." Simmons explained. Zara nodded to herself.  
  
 _There's always drama..._  
  
Zara yawned and looked up, Ward had pinned Skye and she wasn't happy about it. She shrugged him off and stomped back into the plane, followed by Simmons.  
"You're up." Bucky said, leaning over to Zara so only she could hear. "Put him on the floor" He added.  
"Zara, you're up" Ward called out to her. She stood up and walked over to him, sizing him up.  
"I'm going to attack you, and you're going to defend yourself. I just wanna see how you move, and where you're at." He said.  
Zara looked him up and down, he towered over her by close to a foot. She took a deep breath and nodded to him that she was ready.  
He lunged at her and she stepped aside, blocking him. He stopped himself and swung again. He was quicker than she'd given him credit for. She deflected his punch with her forearm sending a fist up under his chin, making him step back.  
Bucky shot her a smile.  
Ward threw a couple more punches which she deflected and he dropped and spun to trip her. She jumped, tucking her knees to her chest, missing his leg as it swept beneath her, and sending one into his chest while he was down, causing him to hit the ground. He sprung straight back up using his hands as a springboard, landing on his feet.  
"Good!" He praised her. "Again!"  
He came at her again, this time quicker and obviously trying to make a point. She deflected three hits, grabbing his wrist as it came out for the fourth hit. She twisted it up behind him, kicking him in the back of the knee, causing him to drop to his knees. She kicked him in the back, pinning him to the ground with her boot as he fell. One of her hands held his face down by his neck and the other hand had taken his gun from his holster and was pointing it at his temple, finger on the trigger, thumb on the safety.  
"Nooooooo!" Fitz wailed, jumping to his feet. Everyone else watching had jumped up and the room had gone quiet. Zara stood up, giving Ward a shove with her boot to roll him onto his back. She tossed his gun into his hands, and stood over him for a few moments with a dark expression on her face before heading back into the plane.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken so long, thanks for all the kudos! Here we have Zara on her first Shield mission with Bucky. Let me know what you think!

  
  
Zara had not long stepped back onto the plane when she'd almost walked straight into Agent Coulson who had seen the whole thing. He didn't look impressed and had taken her up to his office for a stern chat.  
She knew she shouldn't have taken Ward's gun, never mind pinning him down and holding it to his temple. She assured Coulson that she never intended to hurt him, and that the team were safe. She'd just gotten caught up in the moment.  
  
 _If I wanted him dead, I would have pulled the trigger..._  
  
She'd been let off with a warning but "We'll be watching your every move" were the words he'd used.  
She'd gone straight to her bunk after her session with Coulson and sat on the edge of the bed, eventually letting her body flop down onto the mattress where she'd stayed, laying on her back. She stared at the roof and tapped the floor with her toes absentmindedly as she thought about the day's events. She rubbed her temples with her thumbs as she clamped her eyes shut.  
When she opened them, a familiar face was lurking in her doorway. Bucky flopped down on the bed beside her and they both stayed there a few moments before either of them spoke.  
"You alright?" He finally asked.  
"Yeah. My own fault I got carried away"  
"I just spoke with Coulson." he said.  
"Oh yeah?" Zara propped herself up on her elbows and looked into his face. He leaned forward to pull the sliding door closed and sat back down beside her.  
"I told him it was unfair that Ward had a loaded gun on him whilst combat training with rookies." He said, his voice barely above a whisper. A smile slowly crept across Zara's face.  
"I said that it was any wonder you'd react defensively. It was a drill, you defended yourself and if anything you should be commended that you not only noticed he had a gun, but disarmed him too... Ward isn't an easy guy to pin or disarm." He shrugged.  
Zara sat up and put her arms around Bucky, pulling him into a hug. She wasn't sure who was more shocked at her actions - him or her, but it felt good when he'd put his arms around her and returned the gesture, pulling her in tight.  
"Thank you..." She whispered.  
"It probably didn't make a difference so don't thank me just yet" He chuckled.  
"No, thank you for having my back." She said, pulling away for him and giving him a grateful smile. He reached forward and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear and smiled back at her.  
"Don't mention it" He said back, flashing his crooked smile. "Come on out, the new kid is due to arrive any minute."  
"Is everyone mad at me?" She asked, feeling sheepish. Bucky let out a laugh.  
"To be honest they all stood around in stunned silence for a few minutes after you left. May stood smiling to herself, Ward got up, dusted himself off and did the tough-guy thing. Fitz and Simmons went back to their lab once they saw that Ward was fine... You just bruised his ego a little I think, but from what I've heard that might not be a bad thing. Just behave yourself going forward, ok?"  
"Ok" She said with a nod.  
  
Bucky and Zara wandered out into the common area with the others and sat with them while they chatted. As it turned out, Ward wasn't mad at her at all, much to Zara's relief, even cracking a joke with her about letting her win, and then offering her a re-match. She laughed and the others had joined in.  
Skye came up from the back of the plane with an excited smile on her face.  
"The new kid just rolled up" She announced, motioning for everyone to come out and meet him.  
They walked out onto the ramp to see a Jeep pull up, and two soldiers step out. The younger one of the two smiled up at the plane.  
"Brodie Greenwood" He said, shaking Coulson's hand enthusiastically.  
"Nice to meet you, Brodie. I'm Agent Coulson."  
"It's a pleasure, sir!" He beamed. The soldier who had been driving the Jeep pulled a large bag from the back, dropping it at Brodie's feet. The two saluted each other, before the older soldier had pulled him in for a hug, slapping his back affectionately.  
"Good luck, kid." He smiled. After a brief exchange with Coulson he got back in the car and left, it seemed those two were old friends.  
Brodie was introduced to everyone and shown around the plane, and then to his own bunk-room where he would sleep.  
Ward was announced as Brodie's S.O and the two got straight into getting to know each other with lots of questions and chatter.  
The ramp closed and the plane took off, in 12 hours they would arrive at a secret destination for their first of several 'dry runs' as trainee agents.  
  
Brodie was 24, fit and trained in hand combat as well as shooting. He'd been in the Army, and had been a huge help to Steve Rogers on a particular mission. Steve's recommendation had gotten him in the door to Shield and this was his big chance to become an agent.  
He was tall and strong with dark hair, and the 'mini Ward' jokes had already started among the other agents.  
  
A couple of hours into the flight Zara and Brodie had been called out to the ramp for some fight training. They'd gotten changed and met down there with Bucky and Ward. Coulson had given her a mock-stern look as she walked through the doors and told her to behave.  
They warmed up all together and then Bucky and Zara were asked to sit on the sidelines whilst Ward had a sparring match with Brodie.  
He could certainly fight. They were a great match and Brodie managed to counter most of Ward's moves with the exception of only a few. He proved to be a good sport, and tried hard to impress everyone.  
Bucky volunteered to go a few rounds with Brodie. Bucky stood and pulled his hoodie off as he walked towards the kid, revealing his metal arm in the tank top he was wearing.  
Zara stifled a laugh at the fleeting look of terror that crossed Brodie's face.  
"I don't want to hurt his arm..." Brodie said, looking over his shoulder at Ward.  
"You won't" Ward said back letting out a chuckle.  
Bucky went easy on him to begin with, and when he saw the kid could keep up he moved a bit faster, and hit a bit harder. Brodie hit the floor with a thud, both Zara and Ward cringing at the same time.  
"Bucky's a super soldier." Ward said, and Bucky helped the kid up.  
"What the hell is that?!" Brodie said, holding his side where he'd taken a hit.  
"Something we hope you'll never have to run into on the field, but you'll have to be trained for." Ward said back.  
"I have enhanced speed, enhanced strength and enhanced senses" Bucky interjected. "Paired with my arm here, I was a dangerous person to be around for a long time" He explained, holding his arm out.  
"You were the Winter Soldier..." Brodie gasped.  
"Yeah, I _WAS_ the Soldier. Not anymore. I'm fighting the good fight now." He said, giving a smile.  
"So you pair me with an ex-assassin with super powers on my first day?" Brodie said to Ward, he sounding genuinely annoyed. Ward raised his eyebrows, he hated being questioned.  
"You could have at least let me warm up on _THE GIRL_ first" He said. Ward pursed his lips and let out a breath, clenching his jaw.  
"You want to fight _THE GIRL?_ " He asked? "Zara, you're up."  
Ward walked over to Zara, putting a hand out to help her stand. "Make a point" he whispered to her as he leaned down. He pulled her to her feet and she made her way to him, throwing the first hit without stopping or saying a word. He blocked her punch so she threw another three in rapid succession, landing one into his ribs in the same spot that Bucky had hit. He grabbed his side and roared in pain, Zara not wasting the opportunity to sweep a leg under him, making him hit the ground hard on his back. She rested her boot on his throat, giving enough pressure to threaten him without hurting him.  
"Don't judge a book by it's cover" She spat at him, letting her blue eyes glare into his. He grabbed her ankle, twisting it and she fell onto her back. They both sprung up and it was round two. Zara didn't hold back, she'd faught for her life before, and this guy needed to be taught a lesson. They went blow-for blow, and the fight ended with Zara landing a kick to Brodie's face. He hit the ground with a thud.  
Zara was so angry she was shaking. Surely this would be strike two, and she was already in trouble. She shot Ward a dirty look and took two steps back, clenching her jaw. Bucky put his hand on her shoulder, seeing how distressed she was, and she batted it away before walking to the doors to the plane.  
  
 _Where is the fucking button to open the god-damned door._  
  
She turned around to face them again, back against the doors, taking a deep breath.  
"I didn't want to hurt him!" She yelled at Ward, who was kneeling beside Brodie.  
"He attacked you, you defended yourself. Not your fault." He said back, helping Brodie sit up.  
"Oh fu- ... You set me up, Ward." She said, her voice wavering. Bucky glared over at Ward, not sure what to think.  
"I DIDN'T set you up. You did what I ordered you to do. You made your point without hurting him, and he was the one who took it too far. He will be spoken to about this, not you. There's nothing for you to worry about." He said, pulling Brodie to his feet. The kid was fine, a bit wobbly but he'd be okay.  
"Open the doors." Zara said, turning back to the glass. Bucky walked up behind her, turning back to face Ward as he went.  
  
The doors opened, and Zara made a bee-line for her bunk, Bucky following her.  
"You're limping" He said, concerned.  
"I'm fine" She said through gritted teeth. She sat on the edge of the bed, unlacing her boots, pulling off the left and then wincing as she pulled the right one off. Bucky sat beside her and ran his hands over her ankle, feeling for breaks. He was a little shocked at first that she didn't fight him.  
"It's just a sprain. I'll go get some ice for it." He said, getting up.  
"I'll shower first" She said, and he nodded.  
  
Bucky sat with her once she'd returned to her bunk with an ice pack as promised. She'd calmed down enough to be more rational but was still angry at Brodie and Ward.  
"Ward set me up, I know it." She finally said after a long silence. "He wanted to get me back for putting him on his ass, and now I've hurt someone."  
"He told you to make a point - I heard him. I hear everything" He said, tapping his ear. "You did what you were told, and that little punk obviously wanted to make a point of his own. He shouldn't have done that, and he will pay for it."  
"Don't worry about it, Coulson knows it wasn't your fault. I already made sure of that." He added.  
"Thanks again, Bucky. I owe you." Zara said, giving him a genuine smile.  
  
  
Brodie had a very black eye to match his bruised ego, but he'd be fine. He had been given a very stern talking to, and given a warning. One more slip-up and he was out. He'd apologized and admitted he'd gotten carried away and promised to apologize to Zara when he got the chance to.  
Ward had been true to his word in telling Coulson that Zara hadn't been at fault, and Bucky had backed that up firmly too.  
"All this on the first day, two injured trainees... They were supposed to have their dry-run tomorrow morning." Coulson said, frustrated.  
"They'll be ready" Ward and Bucky chimed in, at the same time.  
  
  
The plane landed in a small clearing in what appeared to be a remote island covered in thick jungle.  
Zara, Brodie, and Bucky stepped off the ramp in black combat gear, followed by Ward who was dragging a large black trunk with wheels.  
"Okay, so Brodie and I will go west, Bucky and Zara - you will go East." There is a threat that we've planted in the middle. When we signal you, all you have to do is get back to the plane." He explained as he opened the trunk.  
He pulled out two black rifles, and smiled to himself, before forcing his serious face back. He handed one each to Brodie and Zara.  
"You may or may not have used these before, they're a paint-ball gun. Non-lethal but we'll still know if you've been hit or not." He said. "The opponents we have waiting for you have the same thing. If you get shot, you're out, and are to come back to the plane."  
"How many opponents are there?" Brodie piped up.  
"I can't tell you that, if this was the real deal you'd have no idea. This has to be as real as we can make it." Ward explained. "What I CAN tell you though, is that it's a fair ratio, and you have a good chance of beating this and getting back unscathed."  
"Where are YOUR paint-ball guns?" Brodie asked.  
"Bucky and I aren't there to fight on your behalf, we're just there as an instructor or a guide so don't shoot us" He laughed. "I'd just like to add, that you and Zara are on the same team, so try and keep an eye out for each other. If your paint is on her or vice versa - instant elimination and you will be given a formal warning... Which I don't think either of you can afford."  
"Understood" Brodie and Zara said in unison, giving each other a look of understanding.  
  
  
With that, they set off into the jungle in oppisite directions. Bucky pointed out hiding spots on the way and explained the importance of being invisible. They came to a clearing which had some dense shrubs up one end, and upon investigation they found it dropped off the side of a cliff-face with a ledge big enough to sit two people comfortably.  
"Here's our spot..." Zara said, pointing down. Bucky nodded and smiled, before taking her hands and lowering her onto the ledge, and then climbing down himself. He sat with his legs dangling off the edge, whereas Zara had her knees up to her chest. They leaned back against the cliff and smiled at each other. It was peaceful up there. The sky was overcast and there had been threats of rainon and off all day, but for now the sun was shining through the clouds and there was a breeze. Zara took a deep breath and enjoyed the moment while Bucky looked at his watch.  
They had arrived in their zone early, all there was to do now was to wait for Ward's signal and then get going again.  
  
"Why'd they let you have a real gun?" She asked, nodding down to his hip. It had been hidden until he'd sat down.  
"I don't leave the house without one" He joked. "Ward has one too. Y'know, just in case..." He pulled it out, and held it up as if he was shooting into the distance, and then spun it like a cowboy before tucking it back into the holster.  
"Ooh and a silencer too, very swish" She teased.  
"I have all the latest toys" He smiled back at her.  
Zara took a breath and smiled, she wasn't used to being so comfortable with someone, and feeling safe was something new to her as well.  
  
They sat for a good few minutes before they could finally hear sticks breaking and movement above them.  
Zara pulled a tiny mirror from her pocket and pulled the handle out to it's full length. It was retractable like a car aerial. She kneeled on one knee next to Bucky and used the mirror to peer over the edge of the cliff above them.  
She watched for a few seconds before she noticed there were men in black combat gear, much like what Bucky and Zara wore. The part that confused Zara was the fact that there had to be 15 or more of them, which was hardly 'a fair ratio' like what Ward had explained to them.  
"What do you see?" Bucky whispered.  
"Not a whole lot" She lied. "How far off is our threat? Has Ward sent the signal yet?"  
Bucky looked at his watch and shook his head.  
"Not time yet, four minutes to go." He said, keeping his voice steady.  
The men in uniform spread out, she could see 2 snipers that were ready to go, and they sure as hell weren't holding paint-ball guns.  
  
 _Someone's tipped Hydra off. Shit!_  
  
She knew she'd be in trouble if caught, but the bigger problem was them getting their hands on Bucky and brainwashing him again. That would be bad for everyone...  
  
 _Shit, shit, shit... What to do..._  
  
She felt the irrepressible urge to protect Bucky. She had seen him fight but there were so many men up there, and he'd have no chance if he was hit by snipers or tranquilised. No big loss if they took her...  
"Zara, what do you see?" He asked, he had his 'no bullshit' voice on. Zara smiled at him with relief and waved her hand as she crouched back down.  
"Wild boars, I've never seen them before except for pictures" She said convincingly. Bucky relaxed and looked at his watch.  
"So what is the signal, when will we know to get up and go?" She asked. Bucky tapped his right ear.  
"He'll tell me on the comm" He said. They both stayed quiet for a moment while Zara worked things out in her head.  
"You look tense" He finally said. He missed nothing, this was going to be hard. Zara sighed.  
"I have to confess, I really don't like heights." She said, scooting closer to the cliff wall, and grabbing at a tree-root that was sticking out like a handle.  
"How far down do you think it is? Would you die if you fell?" She asked him.  
"Oh, it's not that far down at all! I've fallen from twice this height and been fine - and that was before the serum." He said softly.  
"I won't let you fall" He smiled.  
"Thanks Bucky" She whispered. The pang of guilt in Zara's chest was growing, she had to get him away from these guys quickly.  
"Argh, help me get my mind off the height, I need a distraction!" She chuckled quietly. "How good a shot are you with that pistol? The one you showed me earlier?"  
"I never miss. They tell me I was a sniper during the war"  
"Think you could hit that shrub down there, the one with the yellow flowers?" She asked, pointing into the distance. He gave her an 'are you serious' look.  
"Okay, maybe a bigger or closer target!" She teased him. He smiled his cocky smile and pulled the gun out, turning away from her. He raised it slowly, holding it with two hands and exhaled as he put his finger on the trigger.  
  
 _Now or never..._  
  
She raised both feet and gave him a hard shove in the back, sending him flying off the ledge. She ripped her Shield jacket off, throwing it down after him. He hit the ground and rolled, he was okay but he looked furious. She fired her paintball gun into the ground twice, smearing paint on herself and fired another shot into the air.  
"Yeah, you'd better run. I'll beat you in the laser-tag round!" She yelled down to him. She motioned frantically for him to get out of sight, and she heard running above her. She hoped she was as good an actor as she thought she was.  
Bucky looked up to see a few men looking over the cliff edge at Zara, pointing guns at her. He knew right then and there that they were Hydra, and that she'd saved him and sacrificed herself. There was no way back up the cliff as it was a flat stone wall. He cursed and called to Ward to call off the mission. They had a new one.  
  
Zara screamed when the guns came over the ledge at her. She dropped her paintball gun and put her hands up.  
"Please don't hurt me, I'm just a paintballer!" She pleaded. The guns were pulled back and the men glared at her.  
"Hand us the gun. butt first!" They growled at her. She obeyed, handing it up to them. One of the men fired it off, and laughed when they realized she was being honest.  
"Please help me, I climbed down here to get a better shot and I'm a bit stuck!" She called up to them. A pair of hands came down and lifted her up off the ledge.  
"Thank you so much, I'm so glad you guys came along when you did, sorry if I caused any trouble. We just came down for the day an-" She was cut off.  
"Search her!!" One of them demanded. She was patted down. and had nothing else on her.  
"How many of you are there?!" Another yelled.  
"There's four, including me. Are we in trouble? Fiona's Dad said we didn't need a permit." She said.  
The other agents had left, leaving three with Zara.  
"You and your friends need to leave. This is a restricted area."  
"No problem. I'm so sorry we caused trouble. We had finished our paintball round anyway." She said.  
"Where are you and your friends set up?"  
"We're just at the bottom of this hill pretty much, I can find my way back, they should be waiting." She said, backing away from them.  
"Not so fast..." One of them said, grabbing her by the arm. "We will accompany you"  
"That's probably best, I'd feel much safer" She lied.  
  
 _Shit..._  
  
Two of the men walked with her down the hill, they were heavily armed, Zara knew she could take on one of them, but not two. With any luck Bucky and Ward would come bounding around the corner any minute. Two against two were much better odds than two against 20, she just hoped Bucky hadn't been hurt in the fall.  
They got to the bottom of the hill and she started to worry about how long she could lie to them for. They made their way into the scrub and she assured them that their day-camp was right around the corner. They were out of earshot of the other agents on the hill, but if they went much further they would be approaching Coulson's plane, and she didn't want to lead them in any closer. She'd have to try take them out.  
They kept going in the direction of the plane, if anything should go wrong she wouldn't be far away.  
Another couple of minutes she could see the nose of the plane through the trees.  
"We're here! Thanks so much for walking me back, boys" She said with a bright smile.  
"That's no camp, that's fucking Shield!"  
Zara swung round grabbing the barrel of the gun behind her as she kicked the guy in front of her, knocking him over. She wrestled with one, whilst trying to hit the other. It wasn't going well, and nobody had heard the commotion as she'd hoped, nor was anyone coming for her. The Hydra agent fired his weapon and Zara knocked the barrel of the gun so it was facing the other agent. The bullet went through his stomach and he went down.  
Zara fought on with the agent who was still standing. He'd called for backup.  
This was very bad...  
This guy was much bigger and stronger than her, she was exhausted from fighting him off and was balancing on one foot as her ankle was in agony.  
She threw a punch at her attacker, hitting him in the face and making him wobble. Damn, she should have hit harder. She shoved him against a tree and lined him up again only to hear a gunshot ring out, and her attacker go limp in her hands. Her ears were ringing and she felt incredibly faint, it was then that she'd realized that she'd been shot through the shoulder.  
The guy on the ground had shot her, and in a stroke of pure luck it had gone right through her and into his chest.  
  
 _What an idiot..._  
  
She picked up her attackers' rifle to fire it at the guy on the ground, but was shaking and too dizzy to load it. Instead she brought it down on his head and he went limp. Zara wobbled on her feet and dropped to the ground, landing on her butt. Her vision blurred, but she shook her head, trying to clear it.  
  
 _Gotta warn the others..._  
  
She got up and managed a few steps toward the plane, using the trees around her to hold her up. Bucky ran into sight, yanking the trunk open and pulling out a few guns and shoving them into various holsters he had hidden on him.  
Brodie had been on the ramp with Ward and spotted Zara through the trees and she dropped to the ground again.  
"Bucky!!!" He called out, pointing. Bucky ran over to her, jumping through the scrub as he went, pistol in his hand at the ready. He scanned the area with his eyes as he ran, and dropped to the ground to prop Zara up.  
"There's more coming, we gotta go..." She mumbled. She faded into unconsciousness as he picked her up.  
"2 bodies, make sure they're dead" Bucky said to Ward who was right behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You guys have been awesome, thanks for all the encouragement! Here's just a super short one as it's late here and I was in a writing mood.  
> Some Bucky and Zara angst and feels for you. Hope you enjoy! xx

  
  
Bucky charged up the ramp of the plane, carrying Zara's limp body. The rest of the Shield troops had been called, and arrived seconds later. Coulson paged May who fired up the engine and he hit the ramp lifter as the plane lifted off. Shots fired from the ground rang out as the Hydra backup agents arrived, and for that moment Coulson thanked his lucky stars that his team had been so quick.  
He hurried down the corridor to Simmon's medical room, and before he stepped in he could see Bucky pacing back and fourth with his hands in his hair, and Simmons frantically working on Zara, who was laid out on a table.  
"How is she?" Coulson asked when he stepped in.  
"She's lost a lot of blood." Simmons said back, not looking up. Bucky stopped pacing long enough to lean over the table, looking at Zara's face.  
"Oh for goodness sake, Bucky! You're right in the way!" Simmons said, frustrated.  
"Barnes, out please." Coulson said. Bucky shot him a look.  
"I'm not leaving her!" Bucky growled.  
"That's an order, Barnes. Out!" Coulson raised his voice and pointed to the door. "You can wait in the hall."  
Simmons mouthed a 'Thank you' to Coulson as Bucky stomped out, and went back to work on her patient.  
"Is there anything I can do?" Coulson asked her, his voice softening.  
"No, I just some space for a few minutes, I'll call you if I need anything."  
  
  
"Are you okay?" Skye asked, putting her hand on Bucky's shoulder as she sat beside him on the hall bench.  
"It's not me I'm worried about." He said, keeping his tone short. Skye nodded and took her hand away, leaning against the wall.  
"I'm here if you need to talk." She offered. Bucky nodded but didn't speak. He wasn't a people person at the best of times, let alone now when he was feeling worried, angry and guilty.  
"I can't believe she did that, I mean I hope she's okay but you must be pretty mad, huh?" Skye piped up again.  
"I'll be mad later." He mumbled.  
"I'm sorry... I'm rambling..." She said after a few moments of silence. "I'll leave you to it. She'll be okay"  
  
  
Zara opened her eyes a couple of hours later, Simmons had done a very neat job cleaning and stitching her wounds. She tried to sit up and winced with pain, deciding it would be better to stay down.  
Simmons came running in and scolded her for moving, telling her to sit still or she'd rip her stitches out. Her pain medication was ajusted and her bed propped up.  
"Where's Bucky?" She asked, her voice cracking.  
"He's here on the plane, he's fine."  
"I feel groggy"  
"You lost a lot of blood, you need to rest."  
Zara closed her eyes and slept, she wasn't sure how long she was out for but when she woke, Bucky was there waiting for her. She stirred as she opened her eyes, getting his attention.  
"Hey, how you feeling?" He asked softly.  
"Like I've been shot..." She answered, letting her mouth curve into a crooked smile, wincing as she sat up.  
"Lay still." He scolded, reaching over to the remote attatched to the bed, propping it up for her.  
There was an awkward silence for a few moments before either one of them spoke.  
"Why, Zara? Why'd you do it? You almost got yourself killed." Bucky finally said. He was angry, but trying to keep his voice soft.  
"I had to protect you." She said, looking into his blue eyes.  
"No you didn't. I'm here to protect YOU. Not the other way around." He argued.  
"Bucky, you're worth more to them than me. There were over 20 men and god knows how many snipers-"  
"You need to give me much more credit, Zara. I would have been fine and could have gotten us both outta there if you had of just been honest with me."  
"I'm sorry. I couldn't take that chance..." She said, her voice cracking. "I wasn't about to be responsible for your capture. You're Bucky Barnes - celebrated war hero, best friend of Steve Rogers and now a shield agent. I'm just a trainee, no real threat there..."  
"You're more than just a trainee-"  
"I get it, Bucky. I don't regret what I did, and I wont apologize for it. You're safe, we all got out - myself included. So I took a few hits, big deal-"  
"Damn it, Zara! Don't EVER put yourself in harm's way again you hear?" Bucky demanded, leaning over her. She looked away from him as tears stung her eyes.  
  
 _Why was he making such a big deal of this?!_  
  
Zara heard Bucky take a deep breath, and let it out slowly. He took her hand and gave it a squeeze as if reassuring her. She looked at him and he forced a smile, and she forced one back. Neither of them were in a particularly happy mood, but she was glad to get that over with. If Zara knew Bucky, that wouldn't be the last time they'd have that conversation...  
  
  
Within a few days she was out of Simmons' medical room. They'd given her injections into both the exit and entry wounds to help speed up the healing, and although the pain was still there, she was getting much more movement through her shoulder. Bucky hadn't spoken to her much, she wasn't sure if it was because he was busy, or he was giving her the cold shoulder. She'd take it up with Skye when she could - that girl had an ear to the ground when it came to gossip and if anyone knew what was going on, it was her.  
Coulson had given Zara a huge serve over her reckless behavior, and yet another warning. It seemed the warnings were mounting up, but no actual discipline was being carried out.  
She was too valuable to lock up, and too dangerous to be released as a civilian. Zara had worked this out after the last warning, and she knew it would be to her advantage.  
  
Brodie has been on several practice missions while Zara was out of action, and seemed to be well on his way to becoming a junior agent. Zara was still in the doghouse with everyone, and Skye had gotten nothing out of Bucky. He seemed grumpier than usual though, if that was possible, and Zara knew she was to blame for that.  
Zara ignored it, Mr big tough guy was probably just feeling a bit too proud to admit that a girl had saved his ass. Maybe it had cut him down a peg or two? Whatever, she couldn't be bothered with the drama of it, and if he wanted to make a big deal out of it - well, he could go right ahead and be a baby if he so desired.  
  
There hadn't been any news on Hydra, and it was suspected that their agents were there at that site on their own training mission. Surely Shield wouldn't be the only organization training troops up... It was a huge co-incidence nonetheless, but there were no signs that they'd recognized Zara or Bucky, and Shield were planning on keeping their identities under wraps for as long as possible. Easy done for Zara - there were plenty of athletic young women with black hair and blue eyes. Not so easy for Bucky, there weren't too many muscular tall men out there with cybernetic arms and super speed and strength. They'd have to work it out. Either way, both of them were in danger if Hydra captured them. Hydra were a bad organization to piss off - whether you blew up half their base, or were their prized asset who escaped and turned on them.  
  
  
The following week after lots of physio, and Simmons' magic injections (god only knew what was in them - but they worked!) Zara was feeling much less pain and ready to start some light training.  
She had plenty of movement through the shoulder, she was still taped up like a football player, but she could move it. She wouldn't be as fast or as strong, but it was something that would come back in time.  
She got dressed into her gym clothes and headed down to the ramp where she knew the guys would be training. Bucky's eyes almost fell out of his head when she walked in, he obviously wasn't expecting her.  
"What the hell are you doing down here?!" He demanded. Zara was taken aback.  
"I was going to watch your training session, maybe do some light boxing and join in where I could." She said, slightly pissed off at him.  
"No, it's much too dangerous."  
"I'm fine, I'll only do what I'm capable of and nothing more." Zara reasoned back.  
"You'll go right back to your bunk right now and rest!"  
"No, I won't, I'm here to train! I won't sit up in bed all day, letting my time here go to waste"  
"I'll have you sedated if you don't get your ass back in there right NOW" Bucky and Zara had both raised their voices. Brodie and Ward had taken that as their cue to clear off.  
"No you fucking won't!" Zara yelled back at him. Bucky swooped down and threw her over his shoulder and walked confidently towards the door, hitting the button to open it. Zara had gone berserk and was kicking like mad trying to get away from him, but she had no hope against that metal arm. Bucky hardly noticed her up there.  
He plonked her down on her bed and she stood straight up to go after him. He turned around in time to catch her wrist as it had swung in to slap him across the face.  
"Calm the fuck down." He said, keeping his voice level as he let her go, shoving her hand away.  
"You have no fucking right, Bucky. Don't ever manhandle me again you asshole." She said, seething through gritted teeth, shoving him in the chest. He rolled his eyes at her and went to storm off but she caught him around the arm to stop him, setting him off. He whipped around and put her up against the wall, holding her there for a second.  
"Don't start something you can't finish..." He warned, letting her go and stepping back.  
"I'm not afraid of you, Barnes. If you have a problem, spit it out, because you've been nothing but a fucking prick to me since we got back after the mission." She glared at him.  
"I don't have a problem, you need to learn to do what you're told for your own damn good." He snarled, stepping back in and towering over her.   
"You can do better than that, Barnes. Was it me kicking you off the ledge? Huh?"  
The corner of bucky's lips curled up into a condescending half-smile as he let out a cocky chuckle.   
"Ok, let me guess, is it a sexist thing, because a girl had your back? Or is it because YOU didn't get to save the day?"  
Bucky pursed his lips and said nothing, just raised his brow to show his irritation. Zara glared into his eyes.   
"Thought so. Just so you know, I stand by what I did, and I'd do it again a hundred times over. I did it because I wanted to look out for you, like you looked out for me." She said, her voice shaking and tears threatening to fall. Bucky's face darkened, Zara knew she was making him angry, but she kept going.  
"If you want to be a prick about it, then that's your prerogative. The only thing I'm sorry about is thinking you were any different to anyone else"  
Bucky stepped towards her and pulled her in the rest of the way and planted a kiss to her lips. It was rough and desperate, but quickly evolved into something passionate, neither of them wanting to pull away. When their lips finally parted he glared his blue eyes into hers with an intensity that made her shiver.  
"I'm _not_ mad that you saved my butt. I'm mad that you stuck your neck out for me, and it almost _cost_ you."  
"I'm not some delicate little flower, Bucky. I need to be _out there_ proving myself" She said, her voice cracking.  
" _No you don't!_ We all know how tough you are but you're no good to them or anyone else if you're dead or hurt. You're not as indestructible as you think you are." He said, stepping back towards the door.  
Zara opened her mouth to argue, but the look on Bucky's face told her to shut her mouth and let it go.  
  
"Rest, heal, and you can come back when Simmons passes you." Bucky suggested. Zara wasn't happy about having to sit out, but she took a deep breath and let it out as she nodded. She knew he was right, he was always right..  
Bucky turned to leave, took a step and then paused.   
"Simmons will do another treatment on you this afternoon. Maybe after the weekend you can come back to watch the training sessions. You'll still learn from watching." He said, without turning around. He walked out, leaving Zara in the bedroom, still shocked at what had just happened.  
  
 _He kissed me..._


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long between chapters, guys! Hope you enjoy :)

  
Zara had rested over the weekend as per Bucky's orders, and kept a low profile. She did her best to avoid him and spent much of her time pretending to be asleep in her bunk, letting her mind over-analyze it.  
  
 _Did he kiss me because he wanted to? No, he did it to shut me up, to cover up the real reason he was mad. Maybe he didn't know what to say and wanted to end the argument..._  
  
She hated her brain, there was no way to shut it off. She had lied to Simmons, come the Saturday night, and told her she was in a lot of pain. She requested something to take that would knock her out. Reluctantly Simmons gave in and Zara actually got to sleep through another day.  
She couldn't sleep forever though, and the others would smart up to the fact that she was hiding out. When she eventually came out of her bunk she was shocked to learn that it was Monday night. Whatever Simmons had given her had knocked her out for just over 24hours. She felt wobbly, weak and a bit queasy.  
She walked towards the galley to get something to eat, her hand staying against the wall as she went. The plane was dark and nobody was around so Zara could only assume it was late. She'd sneak in, grab something to eat and sneak back to her bunk without being detected.  
She scooped a spoon of coffee into a cup and when she turned around Bucky was standing at the fridge door. She jumped with fright, pursed her lips and sighed with annoyance. She made her way to the fridge, opening the door and pushing him out of the way with it.  
"Not a morning person?" He teased. She looked up at him, not changing her expression and he chuckled to himself. She poured the milk into her mug and Bucky took the carton from her when she'd finished to put it back in the fridge.  
"How are you feeling?" He asked.  
  
 _Ah shit... This couldn't be more awkward..._  
  
"Dizzy." Is all she said, swaying where she stood.  
"I can see that" He said with a hint of concern in his voice. Zara rolled her eyes and turned to walk to the pantry.  
"You don't need to worry about me, Bucky. I'm fine." She said, stumbling at the very next step she took. He caught her by the arm before she fell, and held her up till she gathered her bearings. She frowned and yanked her arm away from him.  
"Sit down." He said.  
"Get over it Bucky, I'm not doing the damsel in distress thing. I can look after myself."  
"Sit DOWN" he said, pushing her towards a stool and making her sit.  
"Oh for god sakes" She said, exasperated.  
"I know you're not a damsel in distress." He said. "But you will be if you don't sit down and relax" He said, pretending to be threatening, holding up a wooden spoon. Zara felt the hint of a smile cross her face and her shoulders relax.  
"Talk." He said.  
"I hate feeling like I'm wasting my time here." She admitted, taking a sip from her mug.  
"Well don't worry about it, we're heading back to Shield." He said.  
"What!?"  
"Relax! There's been some emergency, Coulson needs the plane to take his crew off to wherever they need to be. Brodie, you and I are being dropped off at Shield, and they'll take us back out when they return." He explained. Zara relaxed back onto her chair.  
"I suppose this might work to my advantage, give me time to heal a bit more in the meantime..."  
  
  
The car ride back from the plane landing site was boring and long, like it had been on the way there a couple of weeks ago. The only difference was the company, and surprisingly, an ex Hydra assassin and a Shield recruit weren't very good conversation. Zara was still a little flat from whatever drugs Simmons had given her to help her sleep the night before, so was grateful for a quiet ride.  
Steve was waiting there for them when their SUV arrived at Shield, and the first one to the car to help them pull their bags out of the back. His face dropped when he was Zara.  
"What happened!?" He gasped. Zara looked over at Bucky, then down at her shoulder, remembering her arm being in a sling.  
"She threw me off a cliff and then got herself shot." Bucky piped up from behind the car. Steve's jaw was still on the floor when Zara spoke up.  
"I'm fine, really. Simmons patched me up and I'll be as good as new. I can technically start training again tomorrow, this stupid thing was just to keep it comfortable for the car ride." She said, pulling the sling off and stretching her arm.  
Steve shook his head, mouth still open and lost for words.  
"Who shot you?!" He finally said.  
"Hydra" Bucky and Zara said at the same time.  
"It's actually a funny story, Mr Rogers. We'll tell you inside." Brodie said with a big smile.  
"Brodie. Brodie Greenwood." He said, holding out his hand, which Steve shook. "It's an honor to finally meet you, sir. I'm a big fan" Brodie gushed. Steve smiled politely at him before glancing back over to Zara and pursing his lips, a disappointed expression sweeping over his face. He shook his head again in disbelief and helped the others into the building. Zara was the last one in, pausing to look up at the sky and take in her last moment of freedom until the next time they were let back out. From Steve's expression, she guessed this could be quite some time.  
  
  
The following afternoon Bucky found Zara in the gym, stretching. Her movement was looking better but she wouldn't have the same speed or strength in that arm for a while. She looked up at him, and away again. She wasn't in the mood for anyone, much less him.  
He put his hand out to her to help her to her feet, and she accepted the gesture wordlessly. He held up the pads and she started boxing with him, neither of them saying a word except for the odd instruction from Bucky.  
The session was short, and when it was over Zara turned away from him and started un-taping her knuckles.  
"Hey" He said, breaking the silence. She turned around.  
"You okay?" He asked.  
"Yeah, I'm fine." She answered, turning away again.  
"Yeah. You seem like it." He said sarcastically.  
"I'll be fine, I just have a bit on my mind."  
"Like what?"  
"Well for one, I'm worried about what Steve is going to say to me about the trip, he didn't speak to me yesterday."  
"Steve was busy all day yesterday, he doesn't hold grudges so don't worry about that. What else?" He pressed. Zara took a breath.  
"Well his face told another story... Seriously it's fine, I just don't like delaying the inevitable." She said, picking up her bag and starting towards the door. Bucky slammed his hand against the wall, so his arm was blocking her bath. Zara looked down and swallowed.  
"Keep talking" He said.  
"There's nothing more to say. I just want to get this over with. I don't like feeling like I've let anyone down. Steve took a chance on me, and I've blown it more than once." She said, fidgeting with the bag strap.  
"Maybe the shooter should have aimed a little higher and saved us all the trouble!" She joked, letting out a chuckle with the last word.  
"Don't ever joke about that." Bucky said, his face very serious.  
"Sorry... I... Oh god I don't even know what to say. I know I've been a pain in the ass from the get-go. I don't want to cost anyone else their jobs or limbs or lives... Or waste anyone's time... It doesn't matter, It's fine." She said, stumbling over her words as she faked a smile that was fooling no-one.  
Bucky raised his brows, questioning her rambling.  
"You're an idiot." He finally said.  
"Exactly my point" Came her quick answer.  
"What are you really rambling about?"  
"Nothing! Argh, I'm sorry, just feeling a bit stressed and there's no pressure release valve. This building is like a frigging jail!"  
"Leave it with me" He said, taking his hand off the wall. He smiled at her and left.  
  
 _Wow. I just made a complete dick of myself._  
  
  
Zara had a long, hot shower, washing away the stress of the week. She got dressed afterwards in her favorite PJ pants and a little T-shirt, and flicked the TV on in her room. She tied her hair back in a messy bun and settled on a channel that was showing a sitcom. She pulled her knees up and relaxed into the cushions for  night of mindless TV, hoping for a few laughs.  
She had been there for close to an hour and had almost drifted off to sleep when there was a knock at the door.  
"Hey, it's Steve" Came the voice from the other side.  
  
 _Oh great, here we go..._  
  
Zara got up and unlocked the door, letting him in.  
"Sorry, I'm not exactly dressed." She said, shyly. Steve gestured for her to sit, and as she did she clicked the TV off. He sat opposite her, with a thoughtful look on his face. He was quiet for a few moments as if searching for the right words to use.  
"Zara, you know why I'm here" He said finally. She drew in a breath and nodded nervously. He was going to put her back in lock-down for sure.  
"What you did for Bucky was very, VERY stupid. It was reckless and against every rule book and regulation." His voice was very serious, and his blue eyes bore into hers.  
"Off the record, It was also very brave and selfless. I would have done the same thing... I guess what I'm trying to say is thank you." He said with a sincere look on his face. Zara sat, mouth open in utter shock. She quickly shut it when she realized how stupid she must look.  
"What went through your mind to make you do what you did?" He said, finally breaking the silence.  
"I figured that they'd want Bucky more, and if they got their hands on him, it'd be Winter Soldier all over again. That'd be dangerous for everybody... I suppose I felt protective of him too, because he's looked out for me since I've been here. I didn't think twice about it, and I'd do it again 100 times over." She admitted. Steve nodded, taking in her words. Zara shrugged, not knowing what else to say, she stood by what she did and it was as simple as that.  
"I spoke to Coulson and Fury earlier about it..." He said, pausing for a moment before he went on. Zara drew a breath in. "How would you feel about going on a couple of missions for Shield with Bucky as your partner?" He said finally.  
"You mean like a dry run?" She asked.  
"No, I mean the real deal." He said, pulling something out of his pocket and handing it to her. Zara opened the leather wallet, in it was a shield badge on one side, and a card reading 'Probationary field agent' on the other.  
"You're shitting me..." Zara said. "I mean, is this for real?"  
"Yes, if you'd like the opportunity" He said, giving a chuckle.  
"I would love to... Thank you!"  
"Now, you should know it's a probationary badge. You're not a full agent so do what you're told, and don't do anything I wouldn't do." He said, standing up. He gave Zara a pat on the shoulder as he turned to leave and turned to smile at her as he opened the door.  
"Thanks Steve." She said. "For everything." She said, walking over to him.  
"You're welcome." He said back, smiling warmly still.  
"I know I haven't made it easy, but I want you to know I'll do my best." She said, reaching out to hug him.  
"I know you will" He said hugging her tightly back. It wasn't lost on him that the gesture was a big deal. She hadn't been a friendly girl 4 or 5 months ago, how things had changed...  
  
  
  
  
Zara's first mission with Bucky had been a success. They'd snuck into a guarded warehouse without being seen and retrieved hard drives and USB's containing secret Hydra information. They'd made the perfect team, while Bucky was fast and strong, Zara was agile, light and quick on her feet.  
Fury was very impressed with them, and it wasn't long before they had several more missions under their belts in just a few weeks. Bucky and Zara were making quite a name for themselves among Shield team members, and were called upon more and more.

  
  
Zara sat in the passenger seat, watching out the window as building and streets whizzed by. She glanced over at Bucky as he changed gears, making the engine of the car growl as he accelerated. He was such a rev head. Typical boy.  
They were on their way back from running an errand. Well, Bucky had volunteered to run and errand and he'd asked Zara to come along for a drive, as he often did. He pulled the car over and parked alongside a busy strip, cut the engine and turned to Zara with a very serious look on his face.  
"I have a special mission for you." He said, keeping his tone level. "If you'll accept it."  
"Of course, what is it?" Zara said, slightly concerned.  
Bucky pulled his wallet from his pocket and pulled out a twenty.  
"There's an awesome coffee shop hidden down that alleyway" He said pointing, his face creeping up to a cheeky grin.  
"I think I know what you want." Zara laughed, taking the note from him.  
"There's a deli just a block or two away from here. I'll go grab us some lunch, you go grab a couple of coffee's, and we'll meet back at the car in 5 minutes?"  
"Sounds like a plan" Zara said. They got out of the car and went their separate ways, Bucky following the footpath towards the deli and Zara heading down the alleyway towards a shop she could already see the sign for. She zipped her jacket a bit higher as she walked, her skin quivering with the chill in the air. She smiled at the coffee smell as she approached the shop front, before noticing a familiar face in the window which made her stop in her tracks.  
Her blood ran cold and she froze where she stood.  
  
 _What the fuck is Brodie doing in there... Talking to HYDRA agents?!_  
  
Zara turned to go back the way she'd came, but a delivery truck was making it's way down the alley, blocking her in. She turned the other way and quickly went past the shop front to continue down the alleyway. There was no way she'd go into that shop and risk being captured. She'd either be killed or tortured for ripping half their base down, or used as bait to draw in Shield. She risked a glance into the window as she rushed out of sight but Brodie had seen her. He'd excused himself and gotten up from his seat to go after her.  
Panic set in.  
As soon as she had passed the glass window she broke into a sprint, hearing heavy footsteps close in behind her. A dead end loomed up ahead and she scanned ahead with her eyes looking for a way out.  
A retractable ladder on the wall was the only option if she could jump high enough to grab the bottom of it and pull herself up. She took a breath and leapt at the next stride, catching the bottom rung with both hands.  
She let out a cry of pain through gritted teeth as she pulled herself up, and felt her shoulder give out by the third or fourth rung.  
She fumbled and lost her grip, and by then Brodie already had her by the ankle and had yanked her away from the ladder, catching her as she fell, and shoving her against the wall.  
  
She struggled against him but he was too strong.  
"You fucking traitor, I should have known" She snarled, sending a knee up into his crotch. He gasped in pain but didn't loosen his grip on her.  
"Argh, you bitch!" He growled, giving her another hard shove against the wall. "I'm not Hydra" He said, keeping his voice quiet.  
"Like hell I believe you Brodie, you lying sack of shit."  
"If I was Hydra they'd have you already, and I wouldn't be keeping my voice down." He said. "I'm on a mission for Fury. DON'T blow this for me."  
"Like I said, your word is shit. If you're innocent you'll let me go."  
"Believe what you want. Nobody can know about this, Zara. I'm not playing here." He said, glaring intensely at her as he let her go. Zara didn't try to run. She knew better than either of them that she couldn't outrun Brodie, nor would she be able to fight him off alone. She took a deep breath.  
"Get me out of here then." She said. "If you're on my side you'll get me out without being detected."  
"There's only one way out, you'll have to give me a few minutes to get rid of the agents in the shop." He said.  
"No can do, Brodie. Barnes will be here in... Three minutes" She said, glancing at her watch. "You and your two thugs all _dead_ if he gets back to that car alone and catches a glimpse of this playing out." She said, watching the color drain from Brodie's face.  
"Fine. I'll distract them, you count to ten, and walk past the shop window - head down." He said. "And pull your hood up."  
Zara nodded, gripping her sore shoulder with her other hand, wincing at the pain.  
"Before we go - nobody knows about this mission. I'm in deep cover” He said. “Barnes, Rogers... Nobody knows but Fury, if they find out, if anyone finds out, my mission is a failure and I’ve blown my big opportunity. You have to trust me.”  
“I don’t trust you as far as I could throw you, Brodie. You have to earn trust.”  
“Zara, I’m risking everything just talking to you.” He said, pointing towards the shop window. “Work with me here, I get you out safe, and you keep that mouth of yours shut.” He said, a hint of desperation in his voice. Zara nodded, she didn’t have a choice but she’d have to take his word. After all, if he was Hydra, she’d be dead or in the back of a van by now. She took a deep breath and followed him, stopping short of the shop window and counting to ten as instructed. She pulled her hood up, ducked her head and walked past the shop window and out of the alley, looking behind her as she went.  
Brodie was telling the truth.  
  
She shook off her encounter, pulling her hair tie out and giving her hair a shake as she walked back to the car. She stood at the passenger door, and looked up to see a smiling Bucky jog across the road towards her with a bag tucked under his arm.  
His smile dropped from his face when he saw her.  
“Where's the coffee?” He asked  
  
 _Shit..._  
  
“Machine is out of order! Won’t be up and running till tomorrow morning” She lied. “Such a shame, I was looking forward to trying them!” She said. He shrugged and unlocked the car.  
They both got in and buckled up, Bucky started the car as Zara shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She didn’t like keeping secrets.  
“You okay?” Bucky asked, looking at her with an uncertain look on his face. Zara nodded and rubbed her arm.  
“Shoulder hurts, I might have pulled it this morning in the gym.” She said.  
  
 _Another lie..._  
  
“You went to the gym this morning without me?” Bucky said, mock-hurt. They both laughed as the car pulled away from the curb.  
"You're shaking..." He said.  
"Maybe a caffeine withdrawal!" She joked. Bucky wasn't buying it. "No, to be honest I am in a bit of pain, when I pulled my hairtie out I twisted my shoulder, I might go get it seen to when we get back." She said.  
"You never wear your hair out" He said.  
"I have a headache"  
"You should have headaches more often then." He said.  
  
 _Was that his attempt at a compliment?!_  
  
Zara looked over at him and raised a brow.  
"It suits you." He said, trying to explain his comment.  
"Headaches?"  
"No, your hair being out!" He said. "You know what, never mind."  
"Thanks Bucky." She said, giving him a sympathetic smile. He sighed.  
"So we're giving Brodie a training session tomorrow, would you like to sit in?" He asked. Zara went pale.  
"No, I think it'd be better if I rested up, but thanks"  
"Who are you and what have you done with Zara?" He joked. "You were dying for a sit in last time we talked about it, why the change of mind, got somewhere better to be?"  
"Actually yes, but I can't talk about it." She said. She was running out of lies. Nobody was allowed to question a Shield agent if they said they weren't allowed to discuss something - that was one she pulled straight from the rule book. Thank goodness she'd started reading the damn thing.  
  
 _2 minutes in and the lies are mounting up... You better be fucking grateful for this Brodie._


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few interesting developments, I won't give it away - read on and enjoy! Thank you all SO much for all the hits, kudos and comments you awesome, awesome people. Such good writing motivation!  
> Violence warning in this one.  
> Just a short-ish chapter, hope you like it :) xxx

  
Zara sat by her window, watching the rain run down the glass. It was one of those funny moments where the weather matched her mood.  
She was mad at feeling obligated to keep Brodie's little secret, even if it was an official mission and all would be revealed sooner or later. She had avoided Bucky for the past couple of weeks, making excuses why she couldn't see him, and when she did see him she kept it short and sweet. He asked too many questions, and Zara knew she could only keep her mouth shut for so long.  
  
 _This is exactly why I won't make a good agent._  
  
Bucky and Steve were away on a mission and due to be back later tonight. This gave Zara the last chance to stretch her legs, maybe hit the cafeteria up for a coffee and a quiet corner to read. She may even go for a walk.  
She opened her wardrobe, picking up her favorite old boots - the cherry red Doc Martins. She smiled to herself as she tugged them on over her skinny jeans and laced them up, leaving the top four holes open. She swiped on some eyeliner and shook her long black hair, deciding to leave it out. She laughed to herself thinking of Bucky's comment about her hair. Mr Tough was definitely softening, which is why it pained her to lie to him.  
She tucked the Stark Tablet under her arm and made her way to the cafeteria, making a cappuccino for herself and choosing a book to read. She was halfway through the second chapter when she heard footsteps coming towards her, and the person she wanted to see the least in the whole world was right there and had sat himself at her table.  
Zara sighed, exasperated.  
"Hi Brodie." She said, sounding as uninterested as she possibly could.  
"Hi Zara! How are you? You're looking cute!" He beamed.  
"Seriously, Brodie? You don't have to butter me up so you can cut the crap"  
"Oh... "  
"What do you want?" She asked, cutting to the chase.  
"Well, I was just wondering if you'd told anyone?"  
"Of course I haven't. How is life on the dark side?"  
"Oh good. Yeah it's not fun but I gotta do what I gotta do..."  
"How much longer is it going to be?" She asked  
"Hopefully not too much longer..." He said, biting his lip as he paused. "Actually that's why I've come to talk to you." He said, treading carefully with his words. Zara put the tablet down and turned to face him.  
"I need to talk to you in private." He said finally after a pause. Zara raised her brows and gave him an 'are you serious' look. He held her gaze.  
"There's no-one in here but us. Spill." She said, gesturing around the room.  
"You know as well as I do that the walls have ears." He said "Come for a quick walk outside, I'll fill you in, and we'll be back before curfew."  
A huge red flag waved in Zara's mind and she got that gut feeling that it was a bad idea. Despite that, her curiosity told her to go with him. Her smarts told her to go back to her room and weapon up.  
Zara pursed her lips together and let out a deep breath.  
"Fine, Brodie. First I need to go back to my room, put the tablet back and grab a jacket." She said as she stood.  
  
Brodie followed her to her room and waited outside while she went in. She shoved a switchblade into her boot and looked around the room for anything else she might need. She didn't have a pistol or she'd have tucked that into the back of her pants.  
  
 _Damn it._  
  
She should probably tell someone where she was going. This is the moment a cellphone or internet access would have come in handy. She would discuss this with Steve, she decided.  
Zara opened the door and slipped her leather jacket on as she walked beside Brodie down the hall and to the elevator.  
She looked at her watch as they stepped out the front door.  
"We have half an hour" She said as they picked up the pace.  
They walked a couple of blocks in silence, and when Zara thought they were at a safe distance from the building to not be overheard, she spoke up.  
"Okay talk." She said.  
"I need your help, Zara" He said, looking over his shoulder as they walked, checking they hadn't been followed.  
"I gathered as much. With what?"  
"With my assignment." He said. "Take a left here" He added, pointing.  
Zara stopped in her tracks and turned to him, her red lips turning to a smile.  
"You wouldn't be leading me anywhere now would you, Brodie?"  
"Oh god no!" He said, looking very offended. "There's a busy cafe around the corner, I was going to buy you a coffee so we could talk."  
  
 _There goes that red flag again... But there goes that curiosity right alongside it. Curiosity killed the- SHUT UP BRAIN!_  
  
Zara shook the thoughts away and continued to follow him, taking a deep breath and keeping her wits sharp as she went. They walked silently together, Zara's eye's darting every which way behind her sunglasses. Around the next bend through the crowd, umbrellas and rain, she saw the familiar face of the agent who had been in the coffee shop with Brodie that day. He was dressed in regular street clothes but it was definitely him, and he was looking right at them.  
  
 _Shit! Think, think, think!  
  
_ Zara knew she couldn't take Brodie down, especially with how crowded the streets were with people coming home from work. It _was_ starting to get dark, but she still couldn't risk it. She hadn't reacted to seeing Mr Hydra, and Brodie was oblivious to her looking for an escape route.  
The traffic lights went red alongside the street they were walking along and she zoned in on a flashy silver Mercedes driven by a business lady in her 50's.  
She picked her moment and when Brodie was looking the other way she ran over to the car, jumped in the passenger side and locked the door.  
"DRIVE" She ordered the woman, who shrieked and sat there shaking. She pulled the switchblade from her boot and flicked it open, holding it to the woman's throat.  
"Drive or I'll slit your fucking throat!!" She snarled at the woman, who put her foot down. The car mounted the curb, sliding in the wet and knocking Brodie out of the way. He'd run after Zara but not been fast enough unfortunately.  
The car sped along the footpath, knocking street signs down as pedestrians ran out of the way. The cops would have been called by the onlookers, she knew she had to ditch. The lady was sobbing loudly as she drove, pleading with Zara to let her go.  
"I have a family... I'll give you anything you want..." Came her cries. Zara stood her ground and told her to shut up and take the next right. She ordered the lady to stop a couple of streets up, took her phone from the center console.  
"Turn your car around and drive back in the other direction. I have a gun on me and so help me I'll fucking shoot you if you don't" She lied as she got out of the car.  
The lady did as she was told, a string of expletives leaving her lips as Zara slammed the door.  
  
Zara could hear sirens and she hid behind a dumpster as police cars wooshed past the street she was in. She opened the phone she'd taken and tried to call Shield.  
  
 _Fucking thing is password protected!_  
  
She threw it down to the ground, watching it smash as she turned and ran back towards the Shield building, taking the back streets and staying hidden as she went. She came to the street she needed and ran towards the ramp that would take her to the parking garage. She could get into Shield that way without being seen.  
A car with its high beams came roaring towards her from the other end of the street, blinding her the closer it came. She jumped out of the way, hitting the wet pavement hard as the car swung around. The driver got out and started toward her. It was Brodie, she should have guessed.  
Zara pulled out her knife and slashed him across the chest as she stood, and stepped in to take him down, punching him hard, grabbing his shirt with her fist and pulling him in for a knee. Brodie fought back grabbing Zara and throwing her against the wall.  
They went hit for hit, she wasn't going to let him beat her no matter how exhausted she was. She got up and ran at him again, Brodie deflecting her hit and sticking something into her arm.  
She cried out at the sudden pain, and swung back at him, sending a boot into his sternum, knocking him down. She hit him twice in the face, and stuck her blade into his side, puncturing his lung. She watched him fade for a moment as he he started to loose his grip.  
"What the fuck did you inject me with!?" She snarled at him.  
"Something that will ensure we can find you, Miss Jones..." He purred at her with a victorious look on his face.  
"Hydra already knew I was here at Shield you stupid fuck!"  
"We know that where you go, Barnes will go. If you run, he will follow. 2 for the price of 1"  
"You fucking weak piece of shit"  She spat at him, punching him in the face again, splitting his lip open.  
"We have you now, Zara. The best part is if you tell Barnes, he will know you've been keeping Hydra secrets." He taunted. "You were an agent of Hydra, and now you're a traitor to Shield. Either way they take you down or we do."  
Zara's chest tightened. There was no way she could go back to Shield now. If Bucky knew she was going to run he would no doubt go after her. Whether it was to protect her or take her down was anyone's guess, either way the only way to keep him safe from Hydra was to keep the hell away from him. She owed him that much...  
  
Headlights approached and a black car pulled into the underground garage. Zara thanked her lucky stars that her and Brodie were hidden from view. That was a Shield car, and she knew all too well it contained Steve and Bucky. If she was going to make a move it was now or never. She wasn't prepared to risk either of their lives over her own. She'd kill Brodie, and then leg it. If Hydra came after her she'd fight them. She'd pick them off one by one, starting with taking down the nearest base, which meant she'd have to steal a car and a whole lotta weapons. That was fine by her.  
She could kill herself, but that made it easy for them, and they'd still be after Bucky. They'd want their asset back and they'd certainly want to make Shield pay, especially Steve.  
  
  
She turned to Brodie, he would pay for what he had done. She looked down at him, bleeding from his chest and mouth. The smug bastard smiled up at her with bloody red teeth as she raised her knife.  
"Cut off one head... Two more shall take it's place" He whispered, biting down on a pill he'd had hidden. His mouth foamed and his eyes widened.  
Zara ran her blade across his throat, his eyes contorting as she did. She wasn't letting him slip away without delivering a final blow.  
Zara stood, watching the rain wash his blood down the sidewalk. Her long hair was wet and stuck to her face and back. She heard footsteps approach so she started running. There was no turning back now.  
She stuck her elbow through the window next car she found parked in the street, hot-wired it and sped into the night.  
Thankfully she hadn't been followed. It would only be a matter of time before someone found Brodie's body, and link that to Zara's empty room. Tears poured down her face as she drove, she was no longer safe, no longer had a home. She was a traitor and a killer, and everything she hated.  
If she could take even a part of Hydra out, _maybe_ they'd forgive her. Maybe her friends would be safe. Maybe they could take the tracker out of her arm or lop the whole thing off and _she'd_ be safe.  
  
Friends... The word weighed in her mind again... More tears came. She clenched her jaw and put her foot down on the gas, she'd have to start tonight. She didn't have the luxury of time on her side. Sleep was out of the question, she was as good as already dead anyway.  



	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long delay in between chapters guys, life has been CRAZY these last few weeks! Thanks so much for the comments, kudos, bookmarks and views!!  
> Zara puts a plan into action. Bucky finds out what Zara did and goes after her.

Zara drove on into the night, she had a damned good idea where the nearest Hydra base was located from doing her own sneaky digging she'd done in her early days at Shield. It hadn't been hard, and how she'd gotten away with so much information was still a mystery to her. She'd had her own mission planned with Sam before that faithful day in the interrogation room... Sure, she'd felt bad about it after she had started training with Bucky, Steve had put trust in her, and she'd even been accepted by the likes of Phil Coulson and Nick Fury.  
None of that mattered anymore, this wasn't the only time she'd gone behind their backs, and now she'd be a traitor in their eyes. Running from Shield, stealing information and killing a junior agent - Brodie.  
  
_Screw it. I'm not surrendering into imprisonment or death to Shield OR Hydra, I'd rather die. At least I'll go out in a blaze of glory, and for the greater good. I'd rather die a hero than a dirty traitor._  
  
Like blowing up an anthill she's take the Hydra base out, and all the venomous creatures inside, too. Those that didn't die in the explosion, she'd pick off like a sniper would do, and she'd love every second of it.  
She sniffed and wiped her cried-out eyes, catching a glimpse of a wet black smudge on the back of her hand from her eyeliner, realizing it must be all over her face. That and sopping wet hair wasn't her best look, but for once she couldn't give a rats ass. She sucked her plump bottom lip, still tasting blood in her mouth from her confrontation with Brodie earlier.  
Oh how she had enjoyed slitting his throat... She was raring for another kill, and those Hydra bastards were going to pay for everything. For what they turned her into, for what they turned Bucky into, and for everything else.  
Bucky... Zara wondered what he would do when he discovered her room empty, and Brodie's bloody body. She hoped with every fiber of her being that he'd figure it out, her being backed into a corner. She didn't have a choice in this. It was either hide-out and draw Hydra in, or go after them and take them out. At least going after them kept the heat on her, and away from the people she cared about back on home base.  
She shuddered, Bucky could snap her like a twig if he wanted to. If he decided she was the bad guy in all this, he wouldn't be kind about it either. She hadn't seen much footage of him, but it was enough to know just how brutal and cold he could be.  Calculating, strong and fast. Very fast. One thing she'd learned about her time with him was that the wheels were always turning. He was always looking for the weak spot, the escape route, the hidden snipers. He still carried a lot of traits that he'd had as the soldier. She could only imagine what trait would come up when betrayal was thrown into the picture...  
Her blood ran cold at the very thought of it...  
She shook her thoughts off and put her foot down, changing gears in the old Chevy sedan she'd stolen. The owner of the car had left a rifle down the side of the seat. Now if she could get her hands on a couple of explosives she'd be all set.  
  
  
Bucky had a spring in his step and was glad to be back at Shield after being away with Steve for a few days. They'd gone on a secret mission together which had gone off without a hitch, and they had been highly commended for their work. He wasn't allowed to talk about the specifics of it, but was looking forward to having a good gloat.  
He got in the elevator and rode it to Zara's floor, and made her way to her door which he knocked on three times.  
She usually called out to him to come in at this point, but when there was no answer to his knock, Bucky furrowed his brows.  
"Zara, it's early don't you dare be asleep already!" He said with a chuckle in his voice. No answer.  
"Zara?" He called, knocking again a bit louder. "You okay, Zee?"  
Bucky took a deep breath and looked over both shoulders, checking for any hallway lurkers, before ripping the door from it's hinges with his metal arm and stepping in.  
He looked around for a note or any clues as to where she may be, curfew was up 2 hours ago, she should be here.  
He noticed her leather jacket wasn't on the back of the chair where it typically lived. He stormed across the room and picked the pillow off her bed. He knew she kept a switchblade under there, as he'd sworn not to tell Steve about it. She said she couldn't sleep without feeling safe, and it was a necessity. That and it was handy for opening packages and taking the lids off bottles. It was gone. Alarm bells in his head went off and he pulled his cell out to alert Steve, but as he unlocked it, it began to ring.  
"Bucky, it's Steve. Brodie's dead."  
"Holy shit..."  
  
  
Zara had dumped her car in favor of another one when the petrol had run low, and taken back off into the night. She'd broken into 2 homes on the outskirts of town, taking ammo, guns and whatever chemicals she could get her hands on. She didn't like her chances of finding grenades, but she knew how to make her own explosives.  
  
_The perks of being a Hydra kid..._  
  
Her forearm stung where the tracker was implanted, she pulled out her switchblade and considered digging it out. She'd have a much better chance of getting close without being detected with this stupid thing out of her arm. She felt around her arm with her thumb trying to find it, ultimately putting the blade away and changing her mind. She had noticed every so often it would emit a barely audible beep, and they were becoming more frequent.  
Either the people after her were getting in closer range, or she was getting closer to the base. What a stupid mistake they made practically showing her the way if the later was the case.  
  
_No you idiot! They're drawing you in!!_  
  
Zara's blood ran cold at the thought. There was no way such a calculating evil organization would make such a mistake as to give themselves away. It was time to weapon up. Zara loaded the gun as she drove, tucking two pistols into her belt, and shoving the blade back into her boot.  
Her thoughts were interrupted as she approached what appeared to be a high-school campus on her right. She grinned and slammed the breaks on, swerving into the car park. They'd have a science lab for sure, full of chemicals that she could use to make an epic explosive.  
  
_Jackpot!_  
  
She gathered as much as she could carry and ran like hell to get back to the car. Chemicals, ropes and anything else that could come in handy. Setting off the alarm wasn't desirable, but time wasn't on her side. She sped off into the night, listening out for police sirens with the window down as she went.  
She would need to swap cars again soon, this old truck was no doubt on the radar by now, and it wouldn't be long before they sent the helicopters out for her. She cut someone off at the next intersection and got out, pointing two pistols at him. An old V8 coupe that belonged to a fit man in his forties who wasn't going to go down with a fight.  
"I don't wanna hurt you, but I need your car." She said, with authority.  
He pulled out a rifle without saying a word and fired it at her, hitting the door of her truck as she ducked out of the way. She reached over the hood of his car and put two bullets in his leg, causing him to go down as she kicked the rifle from his hands. She threw it in the back of his car, certain it would come in handy. You could never have too many guns.  
She opened the trunk of the coupe and pulled the contents out, throwing it on the side of the road next to the owner of the car, much to his disgust. She then filled it with the chemical drums from the truck, thanking her lucky stars that they all fit in there.  
She walked around to the drivers side to get in when he reached out to grab her ankle. She pulled a crowbar from the seat and held it up in one swift, threatening gesture, causing him to let her go and raise his hands in surrender.  
She got in the car and put her foot down, making the wheels spin and she took off. Zara hadn't wanted to hurt an innocent, but he was alive, and she'd left him the truck. Collateral damage.  
  
  
Bucky glanced in his rear-vision mirror, and then back to the road. He hadn't been followed, not that they'd bother chasing him at the speeds he was driving at. Perks of being a super-soldier - sharp senses meant you could drive like you had the devil at your heels. He'd armed himself with half a dozen guns, and more knives then he cared to think about.  
He knew exactly where Zara was headed and he was hoping he'd beat her there so he could take her in. His thoughts were interrupted by his cell ringing.  
"Yeah" He said after hitting the Bluetooth button on his steering wheel.  
"It's Stark." Came the voice over the speakers. "We have a lock on her. She's got a Hydra tracker on her, you were right, she's headed for the base."  
"Of course I'm right-"  
"Who's right and who's not is irrelevant! She's got a Hydra implant. She's Hydra. It's not worth going after her, she's almost there. I say we stick to the original plan, take out the Hydra bases in the mission we've got scheduled."  
"Zara's not Hydra, something's happened and we have to get her out."  
"Barnes, get your head out of your ass. She came from Hydra, she's attacked Shield agents, just killed one tonight, gone against orders, and stolen information from our databases."  
"Bullshit, Stark. You're the one with the prejudice against her. You've taken every chance to throw her under the bus since the day we dug her from the rubble. Send me the co-ordinates, this is a rescue mission."  
"It's not a rescue mission, turn around now, Barnes."  
"Send me the co-ordinates or I'll have Rogers order you to. He's next in charge without Coulson there."  
Tony cursed under his breath, hung up, and seconds later the GPS in Bucky's car lit up with a new route. He wasn't far from Zara, and it looked like she had stopped. Perfect. He would catch up to her in no time.  
A quick call to Steve confirmed that he wasn't far behind Bucky. A call from Coulson had demanded they catch up with her and take her - against her will if needed. She mustn't get to the Hydra base. They'd deal with her back at Shield, whatever _THAT_ meant.

  
  
Zara turned the key of the motel door and shoved the door open. The room was small, old and had an unpleasant musty smell to it. It didn't matter, it was just there to throw Hydra and Shield off track. She opened the minibar and took the little bottle of bourbon, the little bottle of vodka, and headed into the bathroom with her switchblade. She necked the bourbon bottle in one go and held her breath for a moment.

  
  
Bucky glanced at his GPS as his car roared into the motel car park. She was still here. He stormed into the front building with his gun and pointed it at the attendant.  
"I'm looking for someone, female, 5'3, black hair, blue eyes, slim build. Checked in tonight." He demanded.  
The lady behind the desk was shaking as she went to reach under the desk.  
"I wouldn't do that" Bucky warned, his voice cold. " _WHICH ROOM!!!???_ " He roared at her, making her jump back.  
"Room 6, please don't hurt me!" She sobbed, her voice shaking.  
Bucky ran to room 6 and kicked the door in.  
"Zara, it's Bucky!" He called. "Zara! Answer me right now!" He demanded in his 'I'm not playing around' voice. He kicked the bathroom door open to see blood all over the counter, and a small microchip sitting in the middle of a red pool.  
" _FUCK!_ " He roared, punching the mirror with his metal arm, making it shatter into a thousand pieces. He turned on his heel and ran out to his car, starting the engine and driving off, wheels spinning in a cloud of smoke.  
  
  
  
Zara's plan was in motion. For all Hydra or Shield knew, she'd stopped in at a motel to clean herself up and have a power-nap, maybe even a meal. Like hell she'd have time to do that. She was on the mission of her life, and she wasn't stopping until that base was rubble, and it's occupants were dead, every last one of them. If she lived through it, she'd go to the next base, and then the next... They couldn't come after her or Bucky if they were dead.  
Her heart sank and she got that sick feeling in her stomach again at the thought of him. He'd been her only friend. He'd _kissed_ her... He probably hated her now, and he'd either capture her or break her neck. That's if he was merciful...  
No matter what he thought, she was still loyal to him for all he'd done for her. He'd protected her all this time and she was going to do the same for him, no matter what the cost.  
She glanced down at the blood-soaked pillowcase she had wrapped around her forearm, and then back at the road. She put her foot down.  
It would all be over soon enough...


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of action for you guys! Hope you enjoy it :) xx

  
"Steve, send a Quinjet. She's cut the tracker out and is headed for the base." Bucky said as he drove, pushing the car as hard as it would go.  
"Shit... They're on their way, Buck. I'll send an extraction team and there's three jets coming. Any idea what she's got planned?" Came Steve's voice over the speaker.  
"There's been a robbery at one of the colleges, lots of chemicals. I'd say she's going down there to blow the whole place away..."  
"Stark and I will be there soon...." Steve said after a pause. "Be careful, Bucky."  
  
  
Zara made a mental checklist of her plan. The tracker was out, the car lights were out, guns were bundled up with a length of rope. She saw lights way down at the bottom of the hill, a couple of miles down the road. She recognized the old military bunker/warehouse type building, she'd known exactly what she was looking for. It was definitely the Hydra base, she'd even seen pictures of it. She smiled to herself, glad she'd gotten this part of the plan right - it was a good start. She tied the steering wheel in place with a length of rope, securing the other end to the handle under the drivers seat. She took the crowbar and wedged it between the gas pedal and the side of the seat.  
There hadn't been time to make explosives, but she knew once those chemicals in the trunk were ignited, it would set off a bomb that would make Tony Stark himself proud. She'd crash the car into the bunker, and the explosion would set of a chain reaction. She was glad she'd payed attention in school.  
She shimmied over to the passenger side and swallowed hard.  
She made one last check the car was heading in a straight line towards the bunker and tucked the bundle of rifles under her arm. The car was building speed, Zara clenched her jaw and opened the passenger door.  
  
 _Now or never... Don't die._  
  
Zara threw herself out the door, hitting the ground hard and rolling over and over, coming to rest with a hard thud at the base of a large tree. She gasped for breath, winded, the car had been going a whole lot faster than she'd calculated. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind that she'd cracked a few ribs, and she'd felt her ankle give out. She coughed and grasped her chest as she struggled for air, looking up to catch a glimpse of the car heading straight for the building. There was no time to waste, she knew she had to get herself up and get into position. The area at the top of the hill was quite dense with trees, there was plenty of room to hide. Zara's head pounded and she felt dizzy... She needed to focus.  
  
 _Get up!_  
  
She gritted her teeth and scrambled towards the bushes, to find a good spot to hide. It was a cold wintery night, overcast, rainy, and no visible moon, just the conditions she'd hoped for.  
She got into position and got a rifle out, flicking the safety off and tilting her head to one side to peer through the scope. There was a watch tower down there. The guard in the tower would be the first one she'd pick off, closely followed by any survivors that would be fleeing the building any second now.  
She pushed her long wet hair back off her face and a sinister grin spread over her face as she watched the car approach the building.

  
  
Bucky came over the hill and could see the bunker from where he was. No chaos or fire. He breathed a sigh of relief, only to sharply draw it back when he spotted the car seconds before it hit the bunker.  
  
 ***BOOM!***  
  
A ground shaking explosion lit the sky up in front of him, sending up a mushroom cloud like a mini A-bomb. Followed by a shock wave that sent vehicles and whatever was near the building flying.  
"FUCK!!"  
He pulled the car over aggressively, swerving into the in the woods to keep it concealed as possible. He jumped out with his guns and ran into the scrub at super-soldier speed, leaves and branches whipping against his face as he ran. A siren went off from what was left of the building and he could hear screams and shouting. He loaded and readied his gun as he ran through the trees, scanning the ground as he went.  
He hoped like hell that Zara hadn't been in that car...  
He knelt down behind a shrub and looked down through the scope of his gun. Whatever bomb she'd set off had done massive damage, only half of the building still stood and it didn't look like it was holding up too well. A couple of shots from the Quinjets would flatten it, no problem.  
Bucky heard shots being fired in the distance, and saw a body fall from the watchtower.  
He breathed a sigh of relief, this meant Zara was alive, and fighting the fight. He'd never been so glad to hear gunfire in his life. That didn't mean he wasn't furious with her, he'd have words with her later, but for now he'd help her finish the job and get her outta there in one piece.  
He got to work picking off as many Hydra agents as he could with his sniper rifle, the Quinjets would be here in minutes with any luck.  
Shots were being fired back up the hill in Zara's direction from multiple angles. Bucky took out those who he could see from where he was, and started making his way towards her gunfire.  
  
 _Hang in there, Zara. Don't get killed._  
  
Bucky ran through the woods again, firing shots every few strides without stopping. There were more agents coming from the rubble and they were all armed, and angry. It was becoming a warzone, fast. He listened for her gunshots again and panic set in when nothing came for a while. He decided to keep moving in the direction he was going in, finally coming to a group of half a dozen Hydra agents who he brutally took out one by one in seconds without taking a second thought. He'd slaughter every last one of them to get Zara out safe. Gunshots rang out again in the distance, she was still alive.  
  
  
  
Zara was relieved when she saw Hydra agents dropping like flies from the hill opposite her, it meant backup had arrived. She scolded herself for going into this alone, what if she'd broken her damned legs jumping from the car? She shook her head and fired another three shots, watching as many agents hit the ground, and ducking when bullets came in her direction. The tree behind her had shells stuck in it's trunk, it was time to move again.  
She pointed her rifle towards the gunfire and picked two of them off, dropping to the ground as another spray came up towards her.  
  
 _Get up, it's time to move._  
  
She lifted her head and then had to duck as more bullets came at her, one grazing her arm. She grit her teeth, she wouldn't scream and give herself away, even though at this point she was pretty convinced she was cornered.  
  
 _Move right now or DIE!_  
  
She dragged herself up, breath heaving and made a run for it, limping as she went, throwing the remaining bundle of guns over her shoulder.  
More bullets flew at her, she kept running as hard as she could, jumping potholes and ducking under branches. She heard more shots coming from below her and gasped as she fell, clutching her chest with both hands. She'd been hit.  
"Argh, FUCK!!!" She started to panic, feeling her heart race and her body shake.  
  
 _Don't panic for Christ sake, rushing blood? You've been shot? Calm down! Breathe... Breathe... That's better..._  
  
She glanced down, one look at the amount of blood in her trembling hands was enough. This was definitely it. Cold and alone at night, crying and bleeding to death in the woods in the rain. How cliche. She let out a single melancholy chuckle at the thought. Zara knew she needed to get her shit together, she wasn't ready to give up. Not yet.  
She could hear footsteps running at her from both sides. She slumped against the nearest tree and pulled a rifle from the bundle and pulled the bolt back. If she was going to die, she'd die fighting.  
Zara turned to her left and held the gun up, shaking as she tried to look through the scope. The rain had started coming down harder, and if she wasn't cold enough from loosing blood, wet hair and clothes sticking to her were making things 100 times worse. She was so tired and weak, things felt like they were slowing down, and she fought with her eyelids to stay open. She was fading fast.  
  
 _Come on, Zara. You can do this, stay awake and just keep shooting. Just a little longer..._  
  
She tried to shake it off, holding up the rifle with her finger on the trigger as she heard the footsteps approaching.  
Zara dropped the gun when she saw who it was and covered her mouth as she let a sob out. It was Bucky. He ran to her, dropping to his knees and pulling her into his chest.  
"Zara... Zara, Zara, Zara what have you gone and done" He said, cradling her against him, tightly. She sobbed in his arms, and hung onto him for all she was worth.  
"I'm so sorry. I was blackmailed, Bucky" She cried.  
"I know, I know. Brodie was Hydra, we found the surveillance, and the tracker." He said, looking over his shoulder. The Quinjets had to be close by now.  
"They wanted to use me to get to you. I couldn't let them get you..." She said, as she started to fade.  
"Zara, stay with me!" He said, sitting her back up and tapping her face. "Zara!"  
She opened her eyes slowly and gripped his arm for balance.  
"I'm so sorry Bucky..." She said again. "So, so sorry..."  
He took her face in his hands and kissed her, seemingly breathing the life back into her. She kissed him back as he pulled her close, and for that moment nothing mattered but them. There was no Hydra, no mud and rain, there were no gunshots or death, there was no blood. There was just the two of them.  
  
Footsteps coming up the hill interrupted them. Bucky stood, pulling Zara to her feet. She swayed and stumbled as her legs took her weight.  
"I've got you." He said, holding her with strong arms. He turned his back to the footsteps, putting himself between Zara and the soldiers. He looked over his shoulder, taking four of them out with perfect head shots. He dropped his gun and pulled another from his holster, taking two shots in the back in that split second. The other 5 soldiers met the same fate as the first ones, and before they'd hit the ground, Bucky scooped Zara up in his arms and ran like hell.  
  
Bucky heard jet engines above him, and heard another explosion up ahead. Two missiles had flattened the rest of the base, anyone still inside would have been crushed to dust. Another two were shot at it for good measure.  
Shots were fired from above, Tony was up there in one of his suits and would be able to find them. Bucky ducked back down and shielded Zara as best he could. She was unconscious and pale. Bucky waved his metal arm at Tony, to catch his attention and he flew down to them.  
"Stark, we need to get her on a Jet, now!"  
"Hold onto her." Tony said, grabbing Bucky and taking off into the air towards Steve's Quinjet. The hatch opened and Tony dropped Bucky and Zara in the door safely.  
Steve took one look at her and yelled up to the pilot, who turned the jet back towards Avengers tower.  
"I don't know if she's gonna make it." Bucky whispered...


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick update as I haven't had one up in a while. Uploaded in a hurry, will proof-read it and edit tonight.  
> Going to wrap this story up pretty soon, hope you have enjoyed it. Got a sequel coming :)

  
  
It had been a rough last few days for all of them. Zara's survival had been nothing short of miraculous with the amount of blood she'd lost. It had been very much touch and go, but there she was, right in front of them fighting for her life like she always did.   
Steve knocked twice softly on the door with the back of his hand as he walked into her room. Bucky was right there beside her bed where he'd been yesterday, and the day before.  
"Doc says she'll probably wake today" came Bucky's tired, husky voice. He reached over and brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, gently. She was so pale, so fragile.  
"And how are you doing?" Steve asked, placing a comforting hand on his friends' shoulder.  
Bucky shrugged and let out a long breath.  
"I'll be fine as long as she's fine." He said, his voice almost too low to register. Steve let out a sigh and shook his head.   
"You really ought to get some rest, you know. Go have a hot shower, a shave... You'll feel better for it." Steve suggested.  
"I want to be here when she wakes up." Bucky answered without looking up.  
"Well Buck, she's not going anywhere" Steve nodded toward the hand cuff around her tiny  wrist, connecting her to the bed rail.  
"I'll stay with her for a couple of hours while you go get recharged. If anything happens, I'll call you straight away..." He added after a pause. Bucky let out another sigh and eventually nodded and stood up, giving her hand a squeeze before he stepped back to leave the room.  
"Thanks buddy" He said, giving Steve a friendly pat on the shoulder.  
  
  
Coulson and his crew had returned to Shield upon hearing of Zara's take-down of the Hydra base, and security had been stepped up tenfold. Hydra had sent several attacks their way, all of which had been deflected before any major damage could be done.   
Just as they'd feared, it had started something in motion, and all the planned attacks on Hydra that were meant to take place in coming months, had to be immediately be carried out. There was no time to wait.   
There weren't many big scale Hydra setups left since the hellicarrier incident in DC, but the bases that had come up, had had to be taken down to prove a point, and save future attacks for the time being. This had caused huge problems for Shield as an organization, and while Fury was out on damage control, Coulson was in charge and making the orders. The first one had been putting Zara in shackles and having her under 24 hour guarded surveillance. The fact that she was still unconscious was irrelevant, she wasn't to be trusted, and would be dealt with when she woke.   
Coulson jammed his eyes shut and rubbed his temples, he hadn't had a headache this bad since, well... He shook the thoughts out of head, he didn't want to think about T.A.H.I.T.I.   
He strode to the water machine, and filled up a plastic up from the dispenser, taking a big swig to wash down 2 aspirin. He took a deep breath and made a phone call to the infirmary.  
  
  
Bucky rubbed the towel through his wet hair as he strode out of his bathroom. He felt refreshed after a nap and a hot shower. He put his watch back on, taking a quick glance at the face after clasping the black metal band in place. It had been a good 3-4 hours. He decided to head down to her room to see how she was so Steve could have a break.   
  
He came through the door following a pretty young red head in a long white coat. When she turned to address them, he saw a moment of fear flicker through her eyes, and quick as a flash she buried it and went back into polite Doctor mode. This woman was a good actress.  
Bucky furrowed his brows in confusion, and in the corner of the room he saw Steve with his phone to his ear. A smile spread across Steve's face as Bucky's phone rang once.  
"Was just calling you" Steve said with a chuckle as he pressed at his handset and put the phone back in his pocket. Bucky smiled, shaking off the weird moment with the red head.  
"Good timing. What's the latest?" Bucky asked.  
"Hi, I'm Dr Reeves." The redhead nervously piped up, putting out her arm and shaking hands with Bucky.   
"Nice to meet you" He said politely.  
"We've met before. I didn't think you'd remember me." She answered, giving an almost cocky crooked smile, clearly doing her best to stand strong and hold herself together. Anyone without super senses probably wouldn't have noticed. Or without 70 years of assassinations under his belt. Bucky shook the thoughts out of his head and gave her a smile.  
"I never forget a pretty face" He joked, trying to ease the obvious tension.  
"Only if it's got a target painted on it." She muttered under her breath. Bucky pretended not to hear, and forced a smile which she returned to him as she reached for a vial and plunged a needle into it, turning it upside-down and drawing 5 ml of the clear liquid into the syringe.  
"We're going to help her wake up." Dr Reeves said as she pulled the needle out of the vial, flicked the syringe twice with her french fingernails, and pushed the plunger enough to get rid of the bubbles.  
"She needs rest." Bucky said, stepping towards the doctor, intimidating her.  
"Coulson's orders, Bucky" Steve interjected.   
"I wouldn't do anything that would hurt her, Mr Barnes. You have my word." The doctor said.  
Bucky let out a deep breath and stepped back. He made his way to the opposite side of Zara's bed and took her hand in his. He looked up at Dr Reeves and suddenly felt bad.  
"I'm sorry." He said so only Reeves could hear.  
"That's ok" She whispered, giving him a reassuring smile as she reached across and gestured to take Zara's hand from him, almost as if asking permission. He offered it to her gently, and she unscrewed the cap on the catheter that was in the back of Zara's hand, before inserting the needle and pressing the plunger slowly.  
"How'd you get that scar?" Bucky said, breaking the silence after a few moments. "On your cheekbone, under your eye."  
"You don't remember that?" She asked, keeping her voice low. Bucky shook his head with an utterly ashamed look on his face.  
"It wasn't your fault." She said. "When this is all over, we can do a few sessions. Help you fill in a few blanks." She offered kindly.  
"I'd like that" He said softly, giving her an apologetic smile. She smiled back at him, obviously glad to get it over with and move on.   
They were interrupted by movement beneath them as Zara shifted her weight and scrunched her eyelids.  
  
"Zara?" Bucky said, squeezing her hand. She groaned in response, struggling against herself to wake. The machine she was plugged into started beeping and the men were asked to leave and wait outside.   
"Come on Buck, we'll be outside the window just here" Steve said, giving Bucky's arm a tug. They walked out together, Bucky pressing his hands against the widow to peer in the second he was able to.   
Zara's eyes opened, and the first thing she saw was Bucky's face peering back at her through the glass. She smiled weakly at him, and he smiled back, relief flooding over the both of them.   
A nurse walked to the window and began to close the blinds, Zara kept eye contact with Bucky till he was hidden behind the Venetians, and then closed her eyes to save his face in her mind as nurses worked on stabilizing her.   
She heard the door open and chatter at the foot of her bed. It wasn't Steve or Bucky so she didn't bother to open her eyes.  
"Give her a shot of adrenaline. We need to talk." She heard a familiar voice say. She heard someone lean over her, and after a few moments, there was a rush of energy that swept through her body. She sat up and was handed a bag from one of the nurses which she was sick in. Her body shook, she was weak and nauseas.  
She could hear commotion outside the window, it was Bucky trying to get back in.  
  
 _What the HELL is going on!?_  
  
Someone leaned in and wiped her face with a cool cloth and took her bag. She opened her eyes and a man in a suit stepped in.  
"Miss Jones... We need to have a little chat." He said. It was Coulson, and he was pissed.


	12. Chapter 12

  
Zara gasped trying to catch her breath. Waking up had almost been nice while there was a hand in hers, but it had been ripped away, and the last thing she saw of Bucky were his eyes on her through the window, and his hands pressed up against the glass. She started at the blinds, but wishing them open was about as good as wishing the cuff on her wrist away.  
"Miss Jones" An exasperated voice repeated at the foot of her bed. She shook her head, she must have zoned out. She looked up at Coulson, wordlessly.  
She felt dizzy and nauseas from the adrenaline shot and her ears were ringing. It took her a few minutes to get her head together.  
He wanted answers, and he was being extremely good natured about it, considering how angry he looked.  
Zara's fate was being decided on, and Coulson was making a last ditch attempt to get all the facts.  
"Zara, we're in a predicament with you. You're too dangerous to release, too much of a liability to keep on, and that only leaves locking you up or taking you out. Which Shield just won't do." He said, the tone of his voice staying low. Zara nodded, understanding the seriousness of his words. She was lucky that Coulson was so fond of her - god only knows why.  
"The only other option is sending you to our treatment facility to have you rehabilitated and released with a new identity... That's also something we're trying to avoid because it involves you being wiped-"  
"No, I don't want that. I'd rather be locked up than-" Zara interrupted him.  
"As I said" Coulson cut her off. "We're going to avoid that scenario at all costs." He said, letting out a breath. They both sat without saying anything for a few moments before Coulson spoke up again.  
"We've seen the footage of your run-in with Brodie, and Tony's been able to dig up some CCTV footage from the course of that evening... We need to know exactly what went on that night. Every detail." He said with a very serious look on his face. Zara nodded.  
"No problem" She answered honestly.  
"So what we're going to do, is keep you here till you're well enough to be released. Then you'll be taken down to the holding cells until your case is reviewed."  
"And when will that be?"  
"As soon as Director Fury gets back into town, most likely a couple of weeks." He said. Zara's heart sank, and she nodded reluctantly.  
"I'll do everything I can to co-operate. I know this looks bad, but my hands were tied. I just wanted to keep everyone safe."  
"You let your heart rule over your head. Rookie mistake." He said, his mouth curling up into a kind smile as he remembered his own early days on the field. He pulled a recording device from his pocket and held it up so she could see.  
"Are you ready, Zara?" He asked. She nodded and saw him press the small round button on the top of the device. She began telling her story.  
  
  
Zara blew out a frustrated breath, she played with the cuff on her jumpsuit absent-mindedly as she lay in her cell. She'd been in there at least nine days, well she was sure it was about 9 days. No windows made it hard to tell. Dr Reeves had been in to check her three times and it had been good to have company, although she wasn't allowed to say anything about what was going on in the building, namely anything about her case or Hydra. Sometimes Dr Reeves would stay with her and talk a few minutes, and it was refreshing to see a friendly face. Zara made a mental note to do something nice for her when she got out. Maybe a coffee or a bunch of flowers to say thank you...  
The next three days were much the same, she was just riding the time out. No visitors came except for the young lady who brought food and took dishes or rubbish away. Coulson had sent her a book to read in the beginning which was basically a handbook for Shield agents. It was full of rules, regulations and protocols. Initially she'd sneered at it and shoved it under her pillow but boredom had given out at some point and she was now reading through it a second time.  
  
"Miss Jones..." A voice boomed from down the stairwell. She dropped her book and sat bolt upright. She hadn't been addressed in quite some time. She swallowed hard.  
  
_Please let it be good news..._  
  
A smile spread across her face.  
"Mr Barnes" She replied, officially.  
"That's Sargent Barnes, and you'd do well to remember that." He teased. Zara flashed him another smile and walked over to the glass wall of her cell and pressed her hands up against it.  
"What are you doing down here?" She asked, confused. Bucky walked past her wordlessly and entered a code into the panel by the door, and after a beep and a light thud, the bolt drew back and he pulled the door open, and stood in the opening. Zara stayed where she was, still confused.  
He stepped into the cell, closing the door behind him, strode across the room, and sat on the edge of her bunk. He looked up at her, the humor in his blue eyes gone. He brushed his long brown hair back from his face and patted the space beside him, motioning for her to sit.  
"We need to talk." He said in a serious tone. The smile vanished from her face and she nodded, sitting beside him, ready to listen.  
"A lot has gone on in these past few days. If only you knew how close you were to being wiped, or worse... Probably better off you didn't know I guess." He said, letting out a long breath.  
"Coulson went in to bat for you, you are lucky enough to have a few powerful people still in your corner. There are members on the board that would rather you were dead." He said, looking her in the eye. She felt her hands shaking, and she bit the inside of her cheek to distract herself.  
  
_Bad news... It's bad news... I'm dead. He's here to say goodbye._  
  
"So what's my fate?" She dared ask, drawing in a breath and holding it.  
"You were lucky." He said, reaching out his pocket to pull something out he hadn't shown her yet.  
"You have the opportunity to be re-instated as a Shield recruit. Eventually. You will be under 24 hour supervision, you will wear a tracker, and you will do what you're told, when you're told." He said. Zara let go of the breath she was holding and thought she may cry with relief. She smiled and put her hand to her forehead in disbelief.  
"It's not all good news Zara, this is your absolute last chance. If you try to take the tracker off, if you fuck this up in any way whatsoever, they'll give your S.O the order to kill you." He said, opening what appeared to be a high-tech wrist cuff. "And I don't want to have to do that." He added, motioning for her wrist. She gave it to him, and he closed the cuff around it. There was a faint beep as it clicked shut.  
"You're still my S.O?" She asked. He nodded.  
"I made them an offer they couldn't refuse." He said. They both sat in silence before either of them spoke.  
"Bucky I can't thank you enough for all you've done for me, I really-"  
"Don't even start with that, Zara. You have no fucking idea what you've put me through." He snapped cutting her off. She jumped back in astonishment, not expecting that from him.  
"I'm sorry Bucky." She said, embarrassed.  
"Sorry for what, exactly Zara?" He said, narrowing his eyes angrily.  
"For everything. You've put up with so much from me."  
"You really have no idea do you? You've gained my trust, shattered that by pushing me off a cliff, tried to embarrass me in front of a class of students, run off and almost gotten yourself killed, and lets not forget about you starting a war." He snapped. His shoulders were tense, she hadn't seen him this angry in a very long time.  
"But don't worry, Bucky's always there to pick up the pieces and come to the rescue" He said, with a mocking tone.  
"I don't know what to say, Bucky. I know I've broken your trust more than once. I hate myself for it, but everything I ever did was to protect you." She argued back. Bucky drew back a breath and pushed his hair back from his face again.  
"I know." He said finally after a tense pause. "We're the same, and it's dangerous."  
"So what was the offer?" She finally asked.  
"Well, it started with the idea of wiping your memories. There was the risk of Hydra capture still and if they restored you, you'd be a dangerous asset. Then there was the 'lock her up and throw away the key' option, and that's also a liability to Shield as they become solely responsible for your life. Prisoners are expensive to keep, so we usually turn them over to the authorities. Again, risk of Hydra capture. Then there was the death option. This seemed to be the most popular choice, but they weren't 100% sure you were guilty of your crimes against Shield." He said.  
"The idea of giving you a second chance was out of the question - like last time, you'd only try to run or cause problems, you've never come off as a loyal Shield puppet. But then I made them aware of your loyalty to me. You've never intentionally hurt me where there's been another option, and I don't think you'd ever intentionally put me in harms way or get me into trouble, am I right?" He asked, looking into her eyes.  
"No, I'd never..."  
"I didn't think so. Long story short I have vouched for you, and I have become solely responsible for your actions. If you mess up, the penalty is death. Carried out by myself." He said, not shifting his gaze from hers. She nodded, understanding the weight of what he was saying.  
"I don't think I need to tell you how much I'd rather not do that..." He said.  
"I won't let you down, Bucky. That's a promise." She said sincerely. He stood from the bunk and put a hand out to help her up, pulling her in for a hug as she stood.  
"I'm so, so sorry Bucky. I really mean that. Thank you so much."  
  
  
***  
  
  
In the two months since Zara's release things had gone well. She had been moved to a room with an adjoining door to Bucky's, that he had access to at any given time. The general population at Shield had been cold to her initially, given the amount of extra work she'd caused them in the war against Hydra, but things were getting better slowly.  
She had become quite a good assistant to Bucky in his recruit-training classes from setting up to holding up pads and carrying out fight demonstrations when she was well enough to do so. Mentoring some of his female recruits had been good for her, and as a result Bucky's work was going great and he was being constantly praised from the higher ups.  
Zara loved waking up in the mornings with purpose, knowing she was being useful and enjoying the training. Most of all she was grateful to be given the chance to prove herself as a person who could be trusted, and her friendship with Bucky had bloomed as a result.  
  
Bucky had started going out on missions again, and when this was the case she was locked in her room, and someone in a trusted, senior position was given the keypass to her door. That didn't bother her too much, most of the time she was either studying the agent training guides or any approved literature Coulson had given her to pass the time.  
  
This time of year when it was especially cold, she was quite happy to be locked inside. As of late, Bucky had left the doors open between their rooms, especially when he was away so Zara had room to walk around and excersise. His room also had a better view than hers, being on the corner of the building, and a coffee machine which was a recent addition as well.  
Zara padded across the room with a coffee in hand, stopping in front of the full length window to peer out at the dark, snow-covered world outside. She smiled and took a sip from the hot mug in her hands, wondering to herself where Steve and Bucky might be or what they might be up to.  
There was a new SHIELD manual waiting on the edge of Bucky's bed which she was planning to start later that night.  
  
_I'm going to be a walking encyclopedia on SHIELD procedures by the end of this_  
  
She had to laugh. It could be worse, she could be in the middle of Norway, thinking she was "Ingrid Somebody" or locked in a bunker somewhere. She was damn grateful if she was honest with herself. She placed the coffee down and reached up to tie her black wavy hair back off her face and smiled at her reflection in the window.  
  
That smile quickly faded when her eyes caught a crack forming across the glass. There was a loud, low rumble and the building trembled. That's when she knew they were in serious trouble...


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ooh 2 chapters in 2 days! Sorry I've been away, hope you guys enjoy. Huge thanks to all the hits and kudos from you guys :D  
> -Kaytee :D xxx

  
The building had shaken violently enough to knock Zara off her feet, and terror took over when she realized she was locked in the room alone. If the building went, she was going with it. She ran to her room where she knew there was a comms headset and more protective clothing.  
She put the headset on and pressed the button by her ear once to connect her straight to Bucky, wherever in the world he was.  
  
The dial rang out as she yanked on the black cargo pants and the fitted long sleeve black top from her clothes basket. She frantically pressed the button again to call him as she pulled the cherry red docs on, and on the third attempt he answered.  
"Zara whats going-"  
"Bucky we're under attack!" She yelled cutting him off. There was another loud bang which he heard through the phone, and smoke poured into her room as the building shook again, making her cough.  
"Go into my room, close both doors behind you. The key to my closet is in my second drawer down under my shirts." He instructed, hearing her running and coughing on the other end of the line.  
"I'm in." She croaked  
"Okay, push the coats to one side, there's a hidden door, behind it a briefcase, pull it out."  
"Got it... It's locked..."  
"The combination is 4,6,1,9,7,1,3..." He said clearly.  
The briefcase opened and as she suspected was full of guns. Not hand pistols, but real 'I mean business' guns. Some had Hydra markings on them.  
"Take as many as you can strap to yourself. There are holsters in there, and a black mask. Put it on." Came his instructions.  
  
_The Winter Soldier mask!?!? I thought it was lost in the fight with- Argh, snap out of it!_  
  
"It's too big" She said, placing it over her mouth and nose.  
"Press it to your face and hold it there for a second. It will adjust itself to fit. DO IT!" He yelled into the phone, snapping her out of her dizzy haze. "The vest and earpiece as well!"  
  
_I can't breathe in this fucking thing... Oh wait..._  
  
There was a low whirring as it shrunk against her face and stayed put... And she could breathe, it was filtering the smoke and giving her oxygen.  
"Okay done!" She called back, finding the earpiece in the briefcase and jamming it into her ear, and shrugging the bulletproof vest on and tightening it against her body, finding that it also self adjusted a little making it quite form-fitting.  
  
_This Hydra tech is awesome..._  
  
"There are explosives in the bottom of the case. Shove them in the gaps around the door below the three hinges. They'll blow three seconds from detonation, get out of the blast path. Then get out. Oh, and take the spare goggles."  
"Got it"  
Zara did as she was told, putting explosives around the door, shoving the rest into her pockets in case they were needed, and tucking a couple of knives into her holster straps too. She set them to detonate and crouched in the furthest corner, covering her ears and shielding her face as they blew.  
She put the goggles on, and pushed them off her eyes onto her forehead. She shoved a fresh magazine into her pistol and peered out of the door, following her gun. She took down two hydra agents in the hall with clear head shots.  
"Bucky, you still with me?!" Came her shaky voice.  
"I'm here. Back to the wall and shoulder checks. We're on our way." Three more shots rang out, and Zara's breathing quickened as a Hydra agent snuck up behind her and there was a struggle, following by a stifled scream, a gurgling sound and a thud. More running.  
  
"Call Coulson" She ordered.  
"Coulson's fine. He's clearing the lower levels. Get out of there, Zara."  
"Got it."  
The lights flickered and the windowless corridors went dark.  
"Lights have gone"  
"Have you got the goggles?"  
"Yep"  
"Put them on. Night vision"  
"Got it" She said as she pulled the goggles onto her eyes, and everything seemed to light up in green in front of her.  
She made her way into the stairwell that took her down to level 8 and followed her pistol down the corridor, approaching Bucky's training room. She crouched low and listened through the door, there were people in there.  
She nudged the door open and slid through the gap and picked out the faces of two of Bucky's students in the corner, and a few others behind them. She surveyed the rest of the room, finding a dead Hydra agent against the wall on one side.  
She crept over to the recruits trying not to frighten them.  
"Are you guys ok? It's Zara."  
"Fi's been shot, but she'll be okay." Came a male voice.  
"Oh Lance, it's you. Thank god you're ok. Are there any others?" She said, relieved.  
"There's seven of us. How'd you get out?"  
"I have Bucky on the line. Come on, I'll help you." She said, tossing him a hand pistol from her holster.  
"Bucky, I have some of the recruits, I need to speak to Coulson."  
"Tap your headset button twice, It will cut me off and call him. Press it again once if you need me back. Be careful." Came his voice.  
She double tapped the button and Bucky's voice cut out.  
  
"Coulson here"  
"It's Zara"  
"Are you okay? Where are you?"  
"Level 8, in the training room. I have seven recruits, one is injured."  
"Get to the elevator, I'll have the ground level cleared."  
"We're in the dark up here, there's no power" She said as the building rumbled again.  
"The elevators are on a separate power source. Go, now!" He urged.  
Zara motioned for the recruits to follow, Lance taking up the rear and watching their backs, Zara up the front leading the way. They were fortunate not to run into any Hydra agents on the way. One of the recruits hit the elevator button and they waited for the doors to open with a gun out and ready. There was a loud ding when they opened, and to their relief it was empty. Zara rushed the recruits in, sending Lance in last to be at the door with a gun in hand.  
There was another explosion, but above them this time, and three Hydra agents came running.  
"Zara get in!" Lance screamed at her, reaching to pull her in. She shrugged him off and pushed him back in.  
"Get them to safety, now! I'll catch the next one, GO!" She screamed back, pulling a second gun from her holster and running back down the corridor, shooting.  
  
The elevator doors opened at the ground level and Coulson got the recruits outside to safety.  
"Where the hell is she!?" He demanded.  
"Agents came at us" Lance said, "She sent us and went after them."  
"Zara, where are you, answer me!" He yelled into his headset. He could hear gunshots and lots of background noise.  
"ZARA!"  
"I'm here" she said, panting. Three more gunshots rang out. "They're looking for something, all the doors are ripped open, and they're blowing the building down level by level..."  
"I want you down here right now. Get out of there, that's an order." He demanded.  
"Yes sir"  
She pressed the button on her headset and Bucky's voice came through.  
"You okay?" He asked  
"Yeah I'm still in one piece" she said, backing into a corner where she was hidden and could catch her breath.  
"Where are you guys? This place is falling apart"  
"We're minutes away, just hang in there."  
"I don't know what they want. They're taking the building down level by level. They're looking for something. I gotta find out what it is." She said. "Gotta go..."  
There was another rumble and a chunk of the roof above her gave way. She ran and it missed her narrowly, blocking the elevator door.  
  
_FUCK!_  
  
 She reloaded her pistols and made her way quickly and silently to the stairwell door further up the corridor. More Hydra agents. the place was swarming with them. There was another explosion and more of the roof dropped down in front of her, strategically caving in over the stairwell. There was no way down.  
  
_Fuck, fuck, fuck..._  
  
"I'm trapped" she said into the headset. It was a huge coincidence that her only two ways out were now blocked. It was also a huge coincidence that all their gunshots had conveniently missed her, they'd had plenty of opportunity to take her down. Zara suddenly felt sick. It dawned on her what, or rather who they were after...  



	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Updaaaaate.... Enjoy! Let me know what you think! Sorry it's a bit short, very late at night where I am, and had to smash this chapter out :P New one coming v soon xxx

  
  
Zara crept down the hall staying unnoticed and found a dark corner to get her shit together. She balled her hands into fists and slowed her panicked breathing back down as her mind ran at 100 miles an hour of what to do next.  
  
_They're after me. I should give myself up... No, then Bucky would come after me and they'd get him too... Maybe I should go all guns blazing and try to take them out? Idiot, there's gotta be about  at least 50 of them out there... Kill myself? Argh, no, they'd still go after him..._  
  
Zara swallowed hard and peeked around the corner. Agents had spread out and were checking rooms down the hall.  
  
_Shit, shit, shit..._  
  
She started panicking again as her eyes darted upward. Air vents. They had blown most of the top floors off the building. She crept further along the hall, catching the unwanted attention of an agent as she went. She ran for it, ducking into a room and locking the door behind her. She pulled a TV off the low-line unit and threw it through the window, standing on the dining table and pushing one of the roof sections up. She jumped up and lifted herself up through the tiny gap and replaced the panel in time for agents to burst through the door.  
  
_Thank you years of acrobatics and gymnastics!_  
  
She held her breath and listened, she could hear them by the window, probably thinking she'd climbed out or jumped. They'd figure it out sooner or later, they were pulling the room apart, she had to move fast.  
Zara stood in the roof cavity between the floors, nudging cables out of the way, and came out in the floor above her through a duct in the wall. She was alone in a lab that she hadn't seen before, full of medical supplies amongst other things.  
  
"Zara are you ok?" Came a worried voice through her earpiece.  
"Yeah, get all of our guys away from the building. I have a plan. Stand by." She whispered back.  
"I'm coming to get you"  
"NO! Stay away. I know what they're after, they're after both of us, Bucky. Stay away. I'll be in touch." and with that she pressed the button on her earpiece, cutting him off.  
"Coulson are you there?" She asked.  
"I'm here, Zara. You ok?"  
"Yeah. Can you see where I am?" She asked, glancing down at her wrist band.  
"Following your movements, stay put, I'm sending up a team."  
"That's not such a good idea, there's a lot of them up here, and the whole place is covered in explosives... They're taking us out" She said. "I have an idea that may work" She added, waiting for permission to try it on him.  
"What's your plan?"  
"They're heading down. I'll head up-ways. There are enough chemicals in this room I can put an explosive together, but it will take the building down. Lets crush them with it."  
"It could work, but I won't take it down without knowing you're safe."  
"We'll crush them from above. I'll make my way onto the highest floor. Have an extraction team ready."  
"Be careful, Zara."  
  
She ran to the storage closet and gathered what she needed, opening lids of bottles and shoving them into the microwave. She poured a cocktail of chemicals into test tubes and slid them into the centrifuge, and checked the roof for a panel that would lead her up a few floors. Three minutes was as far as she'd be able to stretch it. She ran to the microwave and centrifuge and started them both off, and ran back to where she'd opened a roof panel.  
She pushed against it and to her horror it wouldn't budge.  
  
_Oh shit..._  
  
The panel next to it opened and as she climbed up into it she came face to face with the barrel of a gun. There was an agent waiting for her. Zara's stomach turned over as she disarmed the agent and pulled him down from the roof cavity, letting him hit the floor with a thud. It was a small guy, slim build not much bigger than she was. He was a fast little fighter though and moved like a Chinese acrobat. They went hit for hit and she couldn't shake him no matter how hard she tried.  
That microwave timer was counting down pretty quick, and she quickly realized there was no way she'd make it out to the roof.  
Panic set in again as she kicked the air vent in, hoping to escape down to the next floor, but he jumped down after her and they burst into the room beneath them together.  
That's when plan B came to her.  
She threw a kick at him, grabbing him from behind and drawing him into her as he spun. She pinned him against her in a sleeper hold and used him as a shield when the blast ripped through from above.  
  
Seconds passed and she came to under a pile of rubble, and a dead Hydra agent. A whoosh of cold wind hit her in the face through the gaping hole in the wall on the opposite side of the room. Light bore in from what looked like a quin-jet, but it became obvious that it wasn't one belonging to Shield. Thank god for the dead guy in the Hydra uniform covering her.  
  
_You idiot!_  
  
She grinned as it came to her. She lifted the hand of the head guy and waved to the quin-jet with it, and it flew away. She got up and made a run for the closest door, dragging her deceased friend behind her. When she got to a quiet corner she stripped him of his  tactical uniform, and put it on herself. Bucky's mask looked the same as her Hydra agent's so she left that on. Not that they'd be able to tell the difference with the amount of soot on her face. She tucked her hair into his hat, grabbed the handgun with the hydra symbol on the butt and ran for the nearest door.  
  
Someone yelled across the room to her and pointed down the hall, motioning for her to follow, which she did.  
  
_Awesome, they've bought it!_  
  
All she had to do now was leave the building. She ran down the hall after the other agents and followed them into an elevator. They went down three levels and were split into small groups. She did as she was told. She'd call Bucky or Coulson when she had a moment to get away from them.  
"We've got company. Split up, you know what to do." The senior agent called out. The three of them separated and Zara found herself in a dark corner long enough to raise her hand to her ear.  
  
_Oh for fucks sake..._  
  
The earpiece was missing. Zara cursed at herself, how could she be so STUPID!? She shook her head at the thought and pulled her gun out, aiming it in front of her before a huge explosion went off.  
  
She was falling...  
  
Her stomach tightened thinking this was it, but they landed with a heavy thud. A strong arm hoisted her to her feet, and looking to her right she realized it was another Hydra agent. She would feel bad for killing him.  
More gunfire rang out and out one end of the room she could hear screams as a body was hurtled at them, followed by another. The agents raised their guns and started shooting. The three of them to her left dropped, having received gunshot wounds, a fourth one dropping when the empty gun was hurled at his face.  
  
Zara squinted and through the smoke she could see him charging towards them like some sort of epic action hero.  
  
_Bucky..._  
  
His eyes were cold and merciless, he was in mission mode. She smiled and thought she'd just about cry with relief. He snapped the necks of two Hydra agents who tried to take him down, discarding their bodies like unwanted trash. He punched another in the face with his metal arm, pulverizing him. Bucky was brutal.  
He cocked his gun without breaking stride and shot at one of the agents to her right, then the one next to her.  
  
She held her breath as a bullet hit her in the chest as she fell. Her hands went to her mask, frantically trying to tear it off. It wouldn't budge. Thank god for the vest that she'd left on underneath.  
  
_Holy fuck, he thinks I'm a Hydra agent... GET UP!!!_  
  
She got up and faced him, he was swinging at her hard and fast. She had little hope at fighting him off. The Bucky she'd fought in the training room was not the Bucky in front of her now.  
'I am faster, make no mistake about that...' He had said to her... The words echoed in her mind as the fighting machine in front of her took her life, breath by breath. She dropped to trip him, he sprung back up and took her by the front of her shirt, hurling her across the room.  
She opened her eyes to see the barrel of a gun in her face, and behind it a set of heartbroken eyes.  
  
The mask had come off as she'd hit the ground, and he'd recognized her... Too late.  
  
She was done, her body was numb and every breath she dragged in was a struggle. She could see his face, calling her name in slow motion but there was no sound.  
He crouched over her and his glistening blue eyes were the last thing she saw before everything faded to black.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another update for you guys! Hope you like this chapter, got a bit of action in it for you. Thanks so much for all the kudos and hits, great writing motivation :) xx

  
Zara gasped and sat up coughing, the corner of her vest pulled away from her body where the bullet had lodged. She could breathe again.  
  
"You still with me?" Came a familiar voice. She nodded her head and they both stood up, her hand rubbing where the bullet had hit her.  
"We're even for the cliff..." She croaked as she shrugged off the Hydra shirt, throwing it at the ground. She pulled a pistol from his thigh holster and he handed her a spare magazine for it which she shoved in her pocket.  
Bucky pulled the bullet from the padding of her vest and fastened it back up again over her shoulder.  
"I'm so sorry, Zara..." He said, looking utterly heartbroken look on his face.  
"It's fine, lets just get outta here shall we?" She said with with a hoarse voice, but a kind smile. There was another loud rumble above them. The building wasn't going to stand up to much more. Bucky already had her hand and they were running through the rubble. He let go of her to shield his face a they broke through a wall, Zara following close by.  
Like a scene from a movie the floor was dropping away beneath them as they ran. He grabbed her hand as the floor beneath her disappeared and pulled her up with him as he climbed through the roof.  
"We have to get as high up as possible" He called to her through the crashing and rumbling of the building.  
"Keep heading west. The elevator shaft is still intact!" She called back. He nodded, grabbing her hand and running. They got to the elevator doors and in shot Bucky's metal hand to rip them open as they ran in. He lifted her to the roof where she pushed the panel up to get through with him following straight after. There were gunshots from above as agents shot down at them, Zara taking all three out with her pistol.  
Bucky climbed up and held onto the cable with his metal hand, and pulled Zara in against him.  
"Hold onto me." He said. She stepped against him and wrapped one arm behind his neck and the other around his body.  
"I saw this in a movie... Hold on tight." He said, lowering his pistol to their feet.He shot at the cable, launching them up the elevator shaft at an almost sickening speed. Bucky swung them off at an empty floor, landing on his feet with Zara still hanging on for dear life. She was trembling as he peeled her off him.  
"You okay there?" He asked.  
"Just a bit dizzy" She admitted. She gasped and pushed him against the wall with one arm, concealing him on hearing a noise down the hall. Her breathing quickened as she thumbed the safety on her pistol against her thigh. She'd flattened herself against the wall beside him and they were hidden in the shadows of the dark corridor. There was another rumble and the building shook beneath them again. She took a deep breath and let it out, realizing the coast was clear.  
She coughed twice, covering her face with the back of her hand, and wrapping the other over her chest. She must have inhaled some dust. She cleared her throat and looked up realizing Bucking was watching her, with a very concerned look on his face.  
"Just some dust." She said, answering his unasked question. He nodded and took her arm, guiding her down the hall, pressing his ear with his free hand.  
"Coulson are you tracking us?" He asked.  
"Yeah, I'm watching you, keep heading east. The buildings' more stable on that side. We're clearing the side of the building to get you guys out. Have you got a harness on?"  
"Yeah of course."  
"Good. Take the next corridor to your right. Go into room 118, lock yourselves in there, and wait for my word"  
"Got it" He said, turning momentarily to check Zara who was still running behind him. They found the room and Bucky pulled her in front of him protectively as he worked the lock on the door. When it opened they darted in, checking the room was clear and locking the door behind them.  
Zara coughed again onto the back of her hand, and noticed blood there.  
  
_Damn, punctured lung... That explains why I can't fucking breathe..._  
  
Bucky hadn't seen, and she wasn't going to tell him either. She holstered her gun and hugged her body, letting out a breath which hung in the air as fog. It was quiet in there, and the only light was that which crept through the half-closed horizontal blinds.  
"Hey, come here" Bucky said, seeing how cold she was. He gave her arms a rub to warm her up and pulled her in to hold her, planting a kiss on her temple. Zara said nothing, closing her eyes and resting her head on his chest as she held him back.  
They stood like that for quite a few minutes, until there was a loud explosion outside and it lit the room up, causing them to both jump back.  
"What's going on, Coulson?" Bucky demanded, pressing the earpiece.  
"Standby, Barnes. One Hydra Quinjet down. Wait for my word."  
"Got it." He said.  
Zara peeked through the blinds, it was a war zone down there. Red and blue flashing lights as far as the eye could see, and something big burning on the ground.  
A metal arm shot out and pulled her away from the window as a spotlight bore in. Bucky had pushed her up against the wall in a dark corner and was holding her still. The light shone into the room as if searching it. It was a quin-jet, probably Hydra searching the building. It was anyone guess if they were looking for their own troops, or Bucky and Zara.  
There was a loud, low rumble as it went to the next room, and the next. The sound got further away.  
"I guess we should stay away from the windows" She said, voice barely above a whisper. His eyes twinkled in the low light and she could tell he had smiled.  
"Good thinking" He joked. She let out a breath as her body relaxed.  
"Thanks for that, all the same. If we live through this, I'm buying you a drink" She laughed, quickly going quiet when she realized how offended he looked.  
"What?" She asked.  
"First of all, you're with me. You're safe, we will get through this." He said.  
"Oh that's right, I'm sorry I forgot you were my hero" She laughed. "My hero who shot me and threw me at a wall..." She had to hold her sides, it was hurting her to laugh, and they were supposed to be in hiding in that room.  
"Why don't you shut that smart mouth of yours before I shut it for you?" He said in a mock-aggressive tone. Tears were forming in her eyes as she laughed. She couldn't stop, and the angrier he got, the more it set her off.  
She wiped her eyes and composed herself.  
"I'm calm, you don't have to shut my smart mouth for me" She said, a chuckle escaping with her last word.  
"Why do you have to ruin everything?" He said. She looked at him confused and before she could ask what he meant, his lips were on hers. She pulled him against her, and he took the hint, parting her lips with his tongue and pushing her back against the wall. Zara arched her back, pressing herself against him as she kissed him back when they were interrupted by a ground shaking explosion. Bucky broke away from her, raising his metal arm to shield her as the window was blown in. Zara gasped in surprise at the blast, followed by the gust of cold air from the icy weather outside. The noise outside was astonishing, people yelling, sirens, explosions, gunshots... It really was a war zone.  
"As I was saying" Bucky called out over the sound of the ruckus outside. "You won't be buying me anything. I'm taking you on a proper date when we get out of here"  
Zara opened her mouth to speak, and he shushed her with another kiss.  
"Not a word. Date when we get out. I'm not asking" He said, flashing her a grin. She smiled and nodded.  
"Sounds great, Buck." She called out over the noise. His hand shot up to his ear suddenly and he turned away.  
"Say again, I didn't get that" He called into the mic. He nodded, and looked over at Zara, and took a gun from his thigh holster, handing it to her.  
"Yeah... Uh huh... Got it, see you soon" He said.  
"I gotta go down the hall, there's a supply closet a few rooms down. We're gonna need a length of rope." He said. She nodded, coughing again against the back of her hand. The icy air had hit her lungs like a ton of bricks. She doubled over and spat a mouthful of blood out.  
"I'm sorry" She croaked, wiping her face. Bucky's brows furrowed with concern as he placed a gentle hand to her cheek and kissed for forehead.  
"Hang in there, I'll only be a minute. Don't move from this spot. Gun on the door, if it's not me, shoot and keep shooting. Stay away from the window, do NOT move." He said with a serious look on his face. She nodded again.  
"Go now!" She said, and with that he stepped away and headed for the door. She crouched in the corner, trying to keep warm. Of all things there was sleet coming into the room through the broken blinds. She shivered and hugged herself. He would be back soon and they'd be out of here.  
  
_Then it looks like we're going on a date!_  
  
She smiled at the thought, wondering where they'd go, what they'd do... What she'd wear?  
  
_Something that covers bruises!_  
  
She laughed again which set off some coughing, more blood coming up. She sat on the floor, hitting it with a thud. She felt lightheaded again and the room spun before her. Maybe she wouldn't make it to their date. She shook the though off and raised her pistol to the door like she'd been told to do, spitting out another mouthful of blood. There was another low rumble and shots were fired into the room through the window. Zara shielded herself in the corner, praying she hadn't been seen.  
Part of the floor across the room had sunk as if it was going to drop away. The door flew open, and Zara was relieved that it was Bucky. She holstered her gun and looked up at him. He had a coil of what looked like elevator cable.  
  
_Oh dear lord, they were going out the window..._  
  
The cable was already threaded through his harness and before she had time to see where he other end was, there was a loud explosion as a quin-jet collided with the building. Bucky grabbed her around the waist and before she knew it, they were on the other side of the room against the wall. There was a burning aircraft sitting where she had been a second ago. Three shots were fired from behind her, Bucky had taken out the pilot who was now slumped at the controls. The smell of fuel was stifling, Zara coughed again, turning her face away from the burning quin-jet.  
"We gotta go!" Bucky called out to her, scooping her up as he ran at the window. "Hold on to me, Zara!"  
She gasped as he leaped out of the window into the night air, they were a lot higher than she had realized. She hung on to him as tight as she could, and could feel his flesh arm wrapped around her. They flew through the air and dropped fast.  
  
_Holy shit..._  
  
Halfway down, he sprung off the building again with his feet and they dropped again. There was a loud 'zip' noise as the length of cable ran out, and they came to an abrupt stop, hanging in mid air about 12 meters off the ground. Trembling, she had the courage to look up when the swinging stopped, to see Bucky smiling at her.  
"Still don't like heights?" He chuckled.  
"Nope... Nope, nope, nope." She said, curling up against his chest again. He laughed and gave her a squeeze.  
"You okay, Jones?" Called a familiar face from below. It was Coulson, and he was smiling. She managed a thumbs up, and quickly went back to hanging onto Bucky for dear life.  
He reached up with his metal hand and snapped the cable, dropping the last 12 meters, landing on his feet, still holding her.  
"Hey" He said.  
"What?" She replied, face still in his chest, voice muffled.  
"We're on the ground" He said. "You're safe."  
He set her down, and breathed a sigh of relief as her boots touched the now snowy ground. She wobbled on her legs as they took her weight.  
"I got you" He said, hands on her waist supporting her. "...So hows about that date?"


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing this. Zara and Skye are friends. Skye gives Zara a makeover and they go to a party at Tony's Penthouse. Bucky and Zara get friendly.  
> Enjoy! :D xx

  
"Will you relax, already!?" Skye scolded, giving Zara's hair a spritz of hair spray. Zara fidgeted and blew out a long breath, letting her shoulders drop.  
"Aaaaaand you're done!" Skye beamed, motioning for her to stand up."Omg you look HOT"  
Zara blushed and smoothed down the navy blue bandage dress as she stood.  
"Sure it's not too tight? Or short!?" She fretted, looking over her shoulder as she turned.  
"With a body like that!?" Skye chuckled. "There's no such thing as too tight or too short"  
"I don't think I've EVER worn a dress, let alone a mini dress. Preeety sure I'm skipping a few chapters here" Zara laughed. "Don't even start me on these rediculous heels"  
"When Romanov lends you stilettos, you wear them and you don't ask questions. The woman knows her shit when it comes to shoes." Skye said.  
Zara smiled and nodded, letting out another nervous breath.  
It had been a good 2 weeks since the Shield tower had been taken down. She hadn't seen much of Bucky in that time due to being nursed back to health, the move to Stark's building and sorting out a few teething problems with that. She still wore her tracker cuff on her left wrist, and leaving the building was still strictly not allowed untill she was reviewed again by the board. That had thrown the 'date' out the window for now.  
Tony decided that since things had finally started to settle, he'd throw a party for the crew in the penthouse. Zara had been invited, and Skye being Skye, had decided that Zara needed to make an impression. It had been a big deal to Zara being invited, she'd craved acceptance from the group since her initial agent training. She guessed her loyalty had been proven by saving those recruits, taking out the Hydra agents and most importantly - doing as she was told and not going rogue like she had always done before. In the building attack she had conducted herself well and done everything by the book. There was no way that that alone was going to cut it with the board, but it was a good start, and they'd relaxed a little with the 'prisoner' routine which she appreciated.  
  
"What's the time?" Zara asked, suddenly worried she was running late.  
"Oh will you relax, it's only eight thirty! You don't want to be early." She said.  
"Skye, we're half an hour late, we gotta go!" Zara panicked. Skye gave her an unimpressed look and handed her a glass of champagne.  
"Where did you get this!?" She asked  
"I have my ways" Skye answered as they clinked glasses. "Okay, so the 'guys 101' rulebook rules are- you want to make them wait."  
"There's a rulebook!?"  
"Yes. Well not an actual book. Just drink your drink and listen."  
Skye was giving her advice. Zara wanted to die right then and there. Since when was this supposed to be so complicated? Bucky knew how to conduct himself around women, that was no secret among the crew. Skye's voice trailed off to a blur as Zara zoned out. It was just a party. He was going to be there but that didn't mean anything. they were all going as friends. But she was wearing makeup. And a rediculous dress...  
  
_Oh dear god I can't do this..._  
  
"And when you have your first kiss-"  
"What!?" Zara exclaimed, snapping back to reality.  
"Are you listening? This is important!"  
"First kiss!?"  
"Yeah, well you never know... Hell, I kinda wanna make out with you in that dress" She joked.  
"Skye, that ship has sailed..." She teased.  
"Shut UP! Oh my god... Is he a good kisser? I bet he's a good kisser." Skye gushed. Zara gave her a cheeky smile and bit her lip . They both laughed. It had been an unlikely friendship between the two girls, but they had hit it off since the building collapse as they were put in rooms across the hall from each other.  
They finished their drinks and got up to leave, Zara touching up her lips on the way out, and Skye fluffing her hair and smoothing down her hot pink dress.  
"Thanks for helping me" Zara said before they walked out the door.  
"Oh, my pleasure. Just for god sakes stop tucking your bangs behind your ear. Hair out means hair is out. Roll with it!" Both girls laughed and made their way down the corridor.  
  
  
The lights were low when they walked through the door. Skye helped Zara out of her jacket - much to Zara's disgust.  
"No, I'm freezing cold and I look ridiculous. I shouldn't have worn this 'dress'... if you could even call it that"  
"Don't be an idiot. Go get a drink, that will keep you warm. You look amazing, TRUST me on this." She said reaching to a waiter's tray as he walked past, taking two shots off his tray and making her do one.  
"I'm going to go introduce myself to Steve." She said, bounding over to the bar. Zara hugged herself self consciously and took a second shot from the waiter. She shook off her nerves and walked into the room, finding a buzz had made it easier to fake confidence. A wolf whistle came from across the room, and when she looked up it was none other than Tony Stark.  
  
_Here we go..._  
  
"Miss Jones... My, my, my don't you scrub up well?" He purred. She felt like she was going to be sick. She put her hand on her hip and smiled at him.  
"Why thank you, likewise Mr Stark." She said back with a polite smile. "Thank you for the invitation, it was very kind of you"  
"Oh the pleasure is all mine" He said, placing his hand on the small of her back. She stiffened at his touch and lost her breath.  
  
_Well, this is awkward..._  
  
She looked around the room, looking for an escape, and locked eyes with Steve who was doing the same. He was stuck talking to a bouncy brunette girl. Zara stifled a giggle when she realized it was Skye. He excused himself and made his way over, leaning in to Give Zara a kiss on the cheek.  
"You look gorgeous!" He said excitedly. Zara blushed.  
"Thank you. It was all Skye's doing, actually... I see you've met?"  
"Yeah... Nice girl" He said awkwardly.  
"Give her a chance, she's just excited to meet you guys." She smiled, still scouring the room with her eyes.  
"He's on his way" Steve said when he caught her eye again.  
"Who?"  
"Bucky"  
"Oh"  
"Come on, I'll get you a drink" He laughed, taking her by the arm and leading her to the bar.  
  
Skye had joined them and two or three drinks later the conversation had loosened up a bit. Steve and Skye looked to be hitting it off, Zara wasn't sure if it would go in the direction that Skye was hoping, but they were having a good laugh nonetheless.  
"I'll be right back" Zara said into Skye's ear, giving her a smile as she headed for the balcony door, taking a water bottle with her. She stepped out into the cool night air, lifting her long black hair off her neck to feel the breeze. She closed her eyes and stretched her neck both ways, and took a drink from her water bottle before setting it down and leaning on the balcony rail. The music had been turned up and she could still feel the beat of the bass through the floor. She smiled as she looked out as the city lights off in the distance.  
  
_What a beautiful view..._  
  
The air had done her head the world of good, she hadn't had alcohol in months and it had gone straight to her head. She took another sip from her bottle and after several minutes realized how cold it was outside, shivering and rubbing her arms. She turned to go back in, and noticed him standing right there behind her.  
"Bucky..." She gasped, surprised.  
He let out a laugh, as he walked over, giving her a kiss on the cheek and taking her hand.  
"You look amazing" He said, an honest smile on his face. She blushed and thanked him.  
"What are you doing out here on your own, in the cold?" He said, taking his leather jacket off and draping it over her shoulders.  
"I was just getting some air, I haven't been out here long"  
"You're freezing" He said, eyes full of concern "Lets get you back inside"  
"Just a couple more minutes" She said, closing her eyes and breathing in the wintery air. His jacket was warm with the heat from his body still, and smelled amazing.  
"How's the party?" He asked.  
"Yeah it's alright" She said unenthusiastically  
"Not really your thing, huh?"  
"Trendy dance music and cocktails? Are you serious?"  
"Point taken" He laughed, the smile reaching his eyes. They both leaned on the railing looking out at the view for a few moments.  
"I haven't seen you all week" she said, breaking the silence.  
"I've been stuck with Stark and Steve, playing mediator" He said.  
"Still not playing nice?" She joked.  
"No, not really!" He laughed. "We've invaded Stark's building, and I guess he wants to think he's in charge. That's not what Coulson wants though. He wants Steve in charge."  
"That makes sense... He is the oldest" She laughed, earning a playful nudge off Bucky.  
"I hope you don't look at me like an old guy" He said, pretending to be offended.  
"No, not at all" She said, the mood shifting.  
"Good" He purred. "Come on now, lets get back inside."  
Zara nodded, shrugging his jacket off and handing it back to him.  
"Skye threatened me with death if I put a jacket over this dress" She laughed. "Hey wait a sec" she said, grabbing his arm, stopping him as he turned to walk back in.  
"What?" He grinned as she pulled him in close, her mouth almost touching his ear.  
"We're being spied on" She whispered. "Don't look, but Skye, Steve and Stark are watching us."  
"Is that so?" He said with a wicked grin. "Wanna ditch?"  
"Oh thank god, I thought you'd never ask!" She said with a chuckle. He grabbed her hand and they went back through the party, ignoring everyone who tried to stop them. They went out the door and snuck up the hallway, hiding around a corner and bursting out laughing when Skye and Steve came out and ran the opposite way.  
"Quick, lets go!" He grinned, grabbing her hand.  
"Argh, I can't run in these!" Zara said, still laughing. Bucky scooped her up and put her over his shoulder and ran down the hallway, stopping in the dark rec room and setting her back down again, his hands remaining on her hips for a moment. He reached behind him and pressed the button on the coffee machine without breaking eye contact with her.  
"Coffee, now?" She asked.  
"Well, I figure if we were allowed out, I'd ask you out for coffee. But we're not, so this is the next best thing" He answered matter-of-factly.  
"Oh, so you're cheap, is that what you're saying?" She teased him.  
"You're not one of THOSE girls are you?" He teased back, giving a huge eye roll.  
"I want a sit down dinner, WITH desert. Not a pissy little coffee" She said, starting to laugh again.  
"Hmmm... Fine." He answered, taking off out of sight, leaving Zara clutching her sides. Tears had leaked out of her eyes. She actually couldn't remember the last time she laughed so much. Bucky came striding back accross the room from a dark corner and took her hand, almost dragging her to a seat behind a small table, where he plonked her down and pushed her chair in. He draped a tea towel over her lap as though it was an expensive napkin, and pulled a chocolate bar from his pocket which he broke in the middle, handing her half.  
"Now _THAT's_ more like it." She said with a nod of approval.  
"Here's to our first date" he said, holding his piece up in a mock-toast. They touched their pieces together, both saying 'clink' at the same time and then laughing.  
"This is the best date I've ever been on" She said with a grin.  
"I'll take you on a real one as soon as we're able to, I promise" He laughed.  
"Actually this is the only date I've been taken on" She pondered aloud.  
"Are you being serious?" He said, raising an eyebrow.  
"Yeah, serious!" She answered, seeing him blush suddenly. "Oh Bucky, god, no I've had boyfriends before" She laughed, suddenly realizing why he may be concerned.  
"No I dated a guy - secretly- when I was in school, then there were a couple while I was at Hydra... But it was slim pickings there, y'know" She said.  
"Actually... No, I don't know" He said, cocking his head to one side, thoughtfully.  
"Really? You never...?"  
"Not that I remember, really! I remember dribs and drabs of missions, there are flashes of things from assassinations, every now and then I remember faceless women but I don't know if it was real or not. I still have nightmares."  
"I'm sorry, Bucky. I know what it's like to have nightmares too"  
"No it's fine. I'll tell you all about it one day." He said, "You have them too?"  
"Yeah I have them all the time. I haven't slept through the night in months." She said, shrugging her shoulders.  
"I've heard you up at night"  
"You should have come hung out with me. I would have welcomed a friendly face in those times."  
"I almost did, so many times" He admitted.  
"Well from now on, if you feel like hanging out, know that you can knock on my door anytime" She said, giving him a smile which he returned.  
Suddenly he sat bolt upright, hearing something that she hadn't heard yet. He grinned a wicked grin and pressed his finger to his mouth to 'shoosh' her. He took her hand and together they ran out the back door of the room and down the hall. The 'click, click' of her heels was giving their whereabouts away so he scooped her up and ran like hell to the door at the end of the corridor and jumped down two flights of stairs, and down another corridor. They came to a large lounge which had doors to rooms down one end, one of which Bucky opened with a key-card. They went through it and closed it behind them, Bucky setting Zara down next to him. They had both lost it laughing, Bucky suddenly pulling her away from the door and putting a hand over her mouth.  
"Shhhh" He whispered in her ear, taking his hand away when she nodded.  
"We know you guys are in there!" Came Skye's voice, full of laughter.  
"She's drunk" Zara whispered, earning a nod from Bucky.  
"What are you doing in theeeeere..." She whined. There were a few moments of silence before she spoke up again; "Okay but I want all the gossip in the morning."  
Zara and Bucky exchanged a look. They could hear Steve taking her away. "Leave them be" he'd said.  
Zara blew out a sigh of relief.  
"God that was too funny" She said, suddenly feeling the effects of all that champagne, putting her hand to her forehead.  
"You okay?" He asked, smiling at her.  
"Yeah, just feeling a bit wobbly. I don't drink very much, I guess I'm just sensitive to it!"  
"I remember what that felt like" He chuckled fondly "Sit down" He said, motioning at the end of the bed.  
He handed her a water bottle which she sipped as they chatted together.  
"Thanks for the date, Bucky" She said, breaking the silence.  
"You're welcome" He chuckled. "I'll take you on a proper one when I can" He said, his expression softening.  
"I'd like that" She said, giving his hand a squeeze.  
"I haven't been on a date since the 40's..." He pondered aloud, his eyes lost in a distant memory.  
"What was it like back then?" She asked. His eyes seemed to smile at the question.  
"It was a simpler time..." He began.  
  
  
As it turned out, Bucky was a gentleman. He hadn't made a move on her any further than a kiss, and made sure she was comfortable and feeling ok. They had stayed up, stretched out on his bed talking about anything that he could remember from his time as a young man in the 40's. It was all dribs and drabs, but Zara had been absolutely fascinated.  
He had walked her back to her room after a couple of hours, the building had been quiet and dark. They got to her room, and he waited while she brushed her teeth, washed up and got ready for bed. She walked out of her bathroom in a cute pair of cotton shorts and a tank top and walked up the end of the bed where he was sitting, tying her hair in a high ponytail as she walked. She purposely stopped between his knees and she barely had time to loop her hair tie around her hair a third time before he grabbed her by the hips and pinned her onto the bed at super-soldier speed, and kissed her in a way that made her heart race.  
  
_Holy shit..._  
  
He pinned her down with his muscular body, taking control, running his hand up her shirt, stopping short of her breast. She pressed into him with her hips and her free hand made it's way up his shirt which he quickly batted away and pinned it above her head, pulling his face away from hers.  
"Don't try to tease me" He purred at her in an overconfident, smug way.  
"I would never-"  
He laughed out loud, cutting her off. He reached his metal finger into the band of her shorts, flicking the elastic, making her jump.  
" _THESE_ are a tease... And so is _THIS_ " He said, flicking the strap on her tank top too. She laughed as he stood up and smoothed his long hair back off his face. He put his hand out to help her up and she walked him to the door.  
"I will get you back for that, Bucky Barnes." She promised.  
"I'd like to see you try" He said, keeping his voice low. He brushed the loose strand of hair from her face and smiled. He leaned over and kissed her tenderly, still cupping her cheek.  
"Sweet dreams" He said, waiting for her to lock the door behind him before he went back to his room. Zara smiled to herself.  
  
_SWEET dreams? They're bound to be anything but sweet after that display..._


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh... Lovers tiff! Zara makes a deal with Coulson, protective Bucky gets angry - is he interested in her or not? Boys are so confusing! :P

  
Another sleepless night had plagued Zara. Dreams of gunfire, capture, buildings falling down around her, explosions... Being ripped from her bed as a blissfully unaware teenager was another common one.  
She rubbed her forehead and let out a breath as her heart-rate slowed, waking up bolt upright wasn't the most pleasant way to wake up, but it was happening more often than not. The sessions with Dr. Reeves had started shortly after the Avengers tower collapse. She'd wanted Zara to talk about it all, and it had helped a little, but it hadn't stopped the nightmares. Truth was she didn't feel safe sleeping, and the only time she had done, she was ripped from her bed by thugs.  
She shook her head and looked at the time, it was early and the sun was just starting to come up, rays poking through the blinds in her room. No point going back to bed, Bucky was giving a fight class to some of his more established students, and Coulson had asked her to help.  
Zara's face lit up at the thought. It had been weeks since she had seen him. The day after Tony's party he had been sent off on a mission with Steve and Romanov, which had of course been top-secret. She'd had no way of contacting him, so she was relieved to hear they had gotten back safely. Bucky had called her when they got back in, but she could tell he was absolutely exhausted so the conversation was kept very brief.  
  
Zara had jumped at the opportunity to help Bucky get his class set up, she was there to help get equipment out, and pack up at the end. She had liked observing the class in the past, learning from the others, so that was another big perk that she was excited about.  
She showered and tied her hair back, swiped on some makeup and opened her drawers, a cheeky grin coming across her face.  
In her left hand she held her training shirt which was a plain T-shirt except for a shield logo. In her right hand was a black racer-back fitted tank top. She opted for the tight tank top and low slung sweat pants.  
Zara stood in front of her mirror and chuckled to herself, she didn't usually wear anything tight to training, but she hadn't seen him in weeks and wanted to make a good impression.  
  
Zara had set the training room up, getting gloves, pads and mats out as instructed, laying them out for each pupil. She headed back to the back wall to close the cupboard and heard a voice purr a "Hi there" behind her. She turned around and flashed a smile, knowing it could only be one person.  
"Bucky" She breathed as he reached out and scooped her into the biggest hug she'd ever had.  
"I thought I told you tank tops were a tease?" He whispered in her ear and he ran his finger over the strap on her shoulder. A smile spread over her face.  
"I thought I told you I'd get you back?" She answered with a chuckle  
"Oh is that how it is?"  
"Yeah, I think so" She said, both of them letting out a light hearted chuckle.  
"It's good to see you again" She said, smiling up at him.  
"Its good to see you too" He said back to her, quickly backing off when he heard someone come through the door.  
"Hey Bucky" Came a couple of voices from the front of the room. Zara pursed her lips and looked away. Affection in front of the guys was clearly a no-no.  
  
_Although he didn't kiss me when we were in private either... Shut up brain!_  
  
"Do you need anything else before I head off? Coulson wanted to see me before he leaves" She asked, somewhat flatly.  
"No I think we're good."  
"Okay, I'll be back later" She said, taking a few steps back and turning to leave.  
"Thanks Zara, see you soon"  
  
Zara knocked on Coulson's office door twice as she pulled her arms through the sleeves of a shield sweater, the door opening as she pulled the zipper up.  
"Hi Zara!" He beamed, a warm, friendly smile on his face. "Take a seat" He said, as he wandered to the other side of the room and sat behind a large desk. Zara stood awkwardly for a moment, and made her way to it at the chair opposite the desk. She felt like a kid being sent to the principals office. She sat on the chair, taking a deep breath before she had the courage to look him in the eye.  
"You need a glass of water?" He said, suddenly concerned.  
"Maybe something stronger" She joked. "Depending on how much trouble I'm in..."  
"You're not in trouble" He said, still smiling at her. "Quite the contrary"  
"Oh?" She said, feeling relief rush over her as her shoulders dropped.  
"You've really proven yourself to be loyal over these last few weeks, Zara. Especially during the attack when it could have gone either way."  
"Okay... I'm listening..."  
"The sessions with Dr Reeves haven't been ordinary sessions. They've been assessments." He said. The room was quiet as it all sunk in. "We have a dire shortage of field agents, especially female ones." He added.  
"How can I possibly be a candidate for that given my history? It just doesn't make sense to forget all that-"  
"We don't ever forget. Make no mistake about that, Miss Jones. We do, however, sometimes give second chances."  
"I don't mean to push my luck but I'm on about my fourth chance-"  
"This is under very special circumstances. You have a particular set of skills, you're a new face on the field, and we need some new faces." He interjected. Zara nodded and listened as he went on.  
"Romanov is putting together a team... It would be a bit of a fast-track option for you, and you'd be helping us out." He said, pulling a device from the drawer and setting it on the desk.  
"What's that?" She asked.  
"A bit of freedom. Not much, but some." He said. "You scratch our back, we'll scratch yours"  
"Okay, okay... I get it all, but what does all this involve?"  
"Training with Romanov and her team, a few missions, and the rest depends on how the first two things go. Tracker comes off, curfew comes off."  
"Can I go outside the building?"  
"No, not unless you're with a team, but that's only while things settle down. Things that you'll learn about, should you say yes." He said. "It's not all rosy though. As you know, Romanov is our best. Her team will be a specialist team. Her missions are risky, and sometimes they require deep cover and you may be gone for a period of time. That's if she even takes you. All I'm offering is an opportunity, that's if you'll help us. The rest is up to you." He explained. Zara thought about it for a moment and cocked her head. She slowly presented her wrist, Coulson scanned the tracker bracelet with his device and after a beep it clicked open.  
"When do we start?" She asked.  
"Romanov will meet with you all tomorrow morning for a debrief. She will choose who she trains, and you'll go from there."  
"Thanks Coulson" She said, a smile beginning to form on her face.  
"It will be good for you I think. Once I've spoken to Natasha I will pass the details on to you."  
"Is this secret or..." She said, as she stood.  
"No, all the seniors know that Romanov is after a team. A few of them are going for positions, so you'll have to be on your A game if you really want a shot at this."  
Zara nodded and gave a nervous smile.  
"What if I'm not good enough?" She asked. "What happens to me then?"  
"Natasha already likes you. Natasha doesn't like anybody." He said, giving her a smile.  
"Oh..."  
"Yeah. It's a big deal."  
"Can I ask why?"  
"We showed her the footage of you taking Agent Ward down" He said, cracking a smile.  
"Thanks Coulson, I'll give it my best shot"  
  
  
Zara made her way down the hallway slowly, she wasn't in a rush to get back, and she had a lot to think about. By the time she'd wandered back to Bucky's training room the class was wrapping up, a few of the guys had left, a couple were stretching and a few were having a talk with Bucky in the front corner.  
She walked in without saying anything to anyone, grabbed the big net bag and started picking up loose boxing gloves and pads from the floor.  
"Zara!" Came a voice from behind her. She turned around and a warm, familiar face greeted her. She was wrapped in a hug before she could get a word out.  
"Oh my god, Lance how are you!?" She beamed.  
"I'm fine, how the hell are you?"  
"I'm great-"  
"-How did you get out of that building. I mean... Last time I saw you, you were running down a hallway, guns blazing... I... I thought for sure I wouldn't see you again." He blurted out, excitedly.  
"Long story which I'm sure I'll tell you one day, but Bucky came in and got me out" She said, her expression softening. "So pay attention to what he has to say won't you!"  
"Oh always!"  
"So how's Fi going?" She asked.  
"Yeah, she's okay, haven't seen her much. Just been concentrating on training and work, really! Haven't got the time for girls" He said, letting out a chuckle. "Not full time girls anyway"  
Zara let out a laugh.  
"What about you, seeing anyone? I'm free for a coffee later if not" He flashed a wolfish grin.  
Zara blushed immediately.  
"Oh... Uh, kinda. Actually I don't know..." She said, confused suddenly.  
"How can you be 'kinda' seeing someone? Either you are or you aren't" He laughed. Zara pondered his words for a moment, and found herself questioning what it all really was. She sighed in exasperation.  
"I'm not discussing it" She said flatly after a pause, her words sounding more abrasive than she intended.  
"Going that well, huh?"  
"Lance..."  
"Hey" He said, raising his hands "All good, none of my business" He offered a smile which Zara returned. One thing about Lance, he knew when to back off. A good quality to have in a friend of someone touchy like her. He reached out and have her a friendly pat on the back of the shoulder.  
"I still want to hear your story" He said, mock stern. She chuckled and nodded her head. "Let me know when you're free for a coffee, and don't worry, it's just a friend coffee" He was teasing her now.  
"Oh fuck off" She said, laughter in her voice.  
"How about you fuck off" He joked back. "Catch you soon Zara" She waved to him as he left, and her face went from a smile to a scowl the second he was out of sight.  
  
Zara sighed to herself as she picked the bag back up and continued packing the gloves into it. She dragged it to the back of the room where she took the second net bag and went around shoving the pads into it. Her mind ran at a million miles per hour, and she cursed Lance for planting those thoughts in her head.  
  
_Kinda seeing someone... A few firey kisses during intense situations, a bit of a makeout after a party. Which he was late to. A bit of flirting... This wasn't going anywhere, surely he would have said something if it was? No kiss this morning aftre not seeing each other in weeks... Hmm..._  
  
She shoved another pad into the bag rougher than she meant to. Their 'date' in the cafeteria crossed her mind, but again it wasn't a real date. Was he trying to butter her up to get her in the sack? Zara shook her head. The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she got.  
Bucky appeared before her with the last few pads in his arms and she held the bag open for him to drop them in. He didn't say anything to her, but she knew he would have heard that little exchange with Lance. There was awkward silence between them as he shoved both bags into their cupboards and locked them. He turned to face Zara, reading her expression and realized she was doing the same.  
  
_Holy hell this is awkward._  
  
"So how did your meeting with Coulson go?" He said, finally breaking the silence.  
"Fine." She answered. "I have another one tomorrow"  
"Oh? What about?"  
"Just some further training" She said, giving her shoulder a shrug as she picked up her gym bag.  
"You ok?" He questioned  
"Yeah I'm fine"  
"Cut the crap, Zara. What's going on" He said, having run out of patience. His arm had shot out, his hand against the wall, blocking her path. Her blue eyes shot up to meet his.  
"Talk to me" He said, his voice calm. She looked up at him and let a breath out.  
"Bucky, it really doesn't matter."  
"Talk"  
"I'm having a bad day and I'm not in the mood right now" She snapped.  
"Your tracker's off." He said, glancing at her wrist.  
"Yeah, I cut a deal with Coulson." She said, looking away from him. Bucky eyeballed her. Zara swallowed, hard.  
"What deal?" He said, as if he as trying to calm his voice.  
"None of your business"  
"Why are you acting so cold?" He demanded, getting angry now.  
"Why are YOU acting so cold" She spat back at him, venom in her voice. He looked away and let out a long breath, pulling himself together.  
"I'm sorry." He said calmly. "I didn't mean to come off that way."  
"It's fine" She said, her voice almost a whisper.  
"What deal?" He said, keeping his tone even. Zara clenched her jaw. She was furious.  
  
_Last time I let my guard down to a guy. How can he be all over me one day, and then suddenly go cold. There's gotta be another girl._  
  
"I'm joining Romanov's team" She blurted out. She knew it would hurt him, well, she hoped it would.  
"Zara, no." He said, getting angry again. He clenched his jaw the way he did before he was about to flatten someone.  
"What do you care? Seriously?"  
"Zara, it's too-"  
"What, Bucky? Too dangerous? You'd rather have me here picking up sweaty boxing gloves for the rest of my time here?" She questioned aggressively.  
"I can't protect you out there. You'd be safe here with me" He snapped back at her. They both stood in a stare-off, seething at each other.  
"So is the problem that I'd be in danger or that I wouldn't be with you?" She said after a few moments, her voice cracking at the last few words. Bucky took a deep breath, and let it out. He wasn't good with feelings, and even worse with words. He opened his mouth to speak when they were interrupted.  
The door opened and Steve popped his head in. He smiled and waved at the, obviously feeling awkward realizing he'd just walked into a fight.  
"Sorry to interrupt" He said. "Bucky, we need you, it's urgent."  
Zara picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She ducked under Bucky's arm which was still against the wall and made a bee-line for the door.  
"I'm so sorry" Steve apologized again as Zara approached.  
"It's okay I was just leaving." She said back as she slipped through the door.   
There was a loud bang from the room as Bucky's fist ploughed through the wall. She didn't bother looking back. This time tomorrow she'd be one of Romanov's elite team, she'd work her ass off and make sure of that. Maybe being away for 'a period of time' as Coulson put it, would be a good thing.  
  
She hoped.  



	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Omg. I can't even... :P Hope you guys enjoy, thanks again for all the comments, kudos and hits! Great motivation to write :) xxx

  
  
Zara's eyes opened groggily as she sat up. She'd had an awful sleep and felt like she'd been hit by a truck. She swung out of bed and went to the bathroom, turning the shower on. She looked at herself in the mirror as she pulled her nightie off, puffy red eyes stared back at her. This was the last time she'd cry over a boy.  
  
_Bottle it. Bottle it and use it._  
  
She clenched her jaw and  looked away from the mirror, letting the room fill with steam as she tested the water with the back of her hand. This would be a new start for her. She'd go from oppressed Hydra brat to kick-ass Shield specialist. Her shoulders dropped as soon as she felt the hot water over them, washing the stress away.  
  
_New start, new attitude, new life._  
  
Zara made her way down the hallway in her Shield training gear, hair pulled back in a tight french braid and she'd even managed to cover up her red blotchy mess of a face and looked respectable. She arrived at Romanov's training room half an hour early, she was the first one there. She put her bag down, and found somewhere to sit down and relax. It wasn't long before the others began to file in, all intimidating women older than she was, some said hello, others didn't. Zara's stomach churned.  
  
_I'm way over my head, what am I even doing here?_  
  
Her hand moved on it's own to pick her bag up to leave when a beautiful red head walked in wearing skinny jeans with boots, a low cut tank top and a cropped leather jacket.  
  
_Oh dear god I really am over my head._  
  
She suddenly wished she'd opted for side swept bangs or curls with red lipstick. She shook the thoughts out of her head.  
"Hi everyone. I'm Natasha Romanov for those of you who don't know. I've gathered you all here to discuss the new team I'm putting together. I'm looking for a team of ladies who will accompany me on top secret missions. I need an extremely competent team who can go into dangerous situations, and either diffuse it, gather intel or whatever I need you to do. We will be a part of Shield, but you will answer to me, not Agent Coulson." She said.  
The meeting went on, and as Natasha had offered, they were free to leave if they felt it wasn't for them. By the end of the meeting there were ten left, including Zara who was by far the youngest. Natasha was having them back in the afternoon for some sparring to see who was up to it, and who wasn't. She was only taking five of them on.  
  
  
Zara sat in the cafeteria after the meeting, thinking about Natasha's words. She was one of those people who was tough, but fair. She knew exactly what she wanted and wasn't afraid to tell people right to their face if they weren't a good fit. She hadn't had the chance to speak to her, as she had another meeting to rush off to, but they would see her again in the afternoon for 'combat testing' as she'd called it. Zara took a sip from her coffee and started at her cellphone. There had been a missed call from Bucky, waiting for her when she'd gotten out of her meeting with Natasha Romanov, but when she'd called him back his phone was switched off.  
She let a long breath out as she locked it and shoved it into her pocket. She stirred her coffee again, playing with the foam as she watched the time tick by. This was going to be a long day.  
  
The combat class had been a tough one. The few women left had been on their A-game and Zara had been dropped on her ass by the third woman she faced off against when she lost concentration.  
"Last chance, Jones" Natasha had said as she'd walked past, not bothering to help her to her feet. Zara had shaken it off and stood to fight again, taking the woman out not once, but twice. When she put her mind to it, she was a formidable opponent. These ladies were tough, but Zara was fast. She had an almost acrobatic fight style which had been a huge advantage against the tougher competitors. The afternoon ran as a round-robin tournament and the final four ladies faced off against each other finding they were fairly well matched. Natasha had stopped them when she was satisfied.  
"I don't want a team of bed-bound specialists" she had said. She had made everyone shake hands and introduce themselves and to Zara's relief the were all quite easy to get along with. There was a girl a few years older than her with short dusty blonde hair, she called herself Geneva. An attractive older Asian woman named Sylvia and two brunette's in their mid to late 30's named Catherine and Alex. All of them were fit and well trained. Natasha would fine-tune everyone and missions would start pretty much immediately. They were told to do their cool down and then they were dismissed.  
"Welcome to the team, ladies. Be back here at 8am tomorrow morning, we have work to do."  
Each of them found a corner to stretch and cool down, and they left when they were ready. A blonde man came into the room to talk with Natasha briefly, Zara recognized him immediately. It was Clint Barton. They were talking privately about something important, stopping every few minutes to look around the room. Zara ducked her head quickly, she didn't want to be sprung staring or trying to listen in.  
  
_Aah shit, they're looking at me... Pretend you don't notice..._  
  
Zara stood up and slipped her sweater on, zipping it up before picking her gym bag up. She headed for the door where Romanov and Barton were chatting.  
"You did good" Natasha said, letting one side of her mouth curl up into a smile. "Barton, this is Jones. Jones, Barton." She introduced them.  
"Clint" He said, putting his hand out, a kind expression on his face.  
"Zara" she said, shaking it and giving him a smile. "Thank you Natasha" She added, turning to face her.  
"I may have a special job for you. Leave it with me" She said. Zara nodded and smiled respectfully.  
"I'll speak to you later after I've spoken to Steve." She said.  
"He's due back tonight." Clint interjected.  
"That's quick" Natasha mused.  
"Yeah, I'm sure you will hear all about it when they get back." He said.  
"They?" She asked, quizzically.  
"He had to take Barnes on this one."  
"Oh."  
 Him and Natasha turned to Zara, as if forgetting she was there.  
"Well thanks again, was nice to meet you Clint" Zara said, before dashing out the door. She looked at her watch, shocked it was this late already. No wonder her stomach was growling.  
  
She made her way down the hallway quickly, head snapping up when she passed the mirrored doors of the conference room.  
  
_Just my reflection, phew... Aaaand I have a split lip. Perfect._  
  
She put her hand into the corner of her mouth as she slowed her steps.  
  
_Yep, definitely blood. You stood there having a conversation with 2 Avengers with a bleeding face. My, that must have been an attractive look._  
  
She was suddenly angry at herself again for letting that woman hit her. She wouldn't get distracted again. She stood looking down at her red fingertips, wondering how she'd go against a real opponent. This was going to be tougher than what she'd come up against in the past, Natasha's team wasn't just your run of the mill Shield agents. They were an Elite team.  
  
_That's what the training is for... You'll be okay._  
  
She chuckled once to herself and decided to head back to her room to clean herself up. Looking back up she felt her stomach turn over and she was frozen where she was.  
  
_Oh for fucks sake..._  
  
Bucky and Steve making their way towards her down the hall. Bucky looked up from his cellphone and made eye contact with her, eyes full of concern. She clenched her jaw and took a deep breath.  
"Zara what happened?" He said as he approached her.  
"You guys go on ahead, I have a meeting with Natasha" Steve said without stopping, giving Zara a smile which she returned. He looked like he was in a hurry.  
Bucky took her hand, peering at the bloody fingertips. She snatched her hand away.  
"I'm fine, Barnes, it's not your concern." She snapped. She was not in the mood for this.  
"Will you stop!" He said to her "I'm sorry for yesterday. I really wanna talk to you about it okay." He added, his voice soft and kind. She pursed her lips and blew out a breath, wiping the blood off her fingers onto her pants leg.  
"Okay fine" She said, surrendering.  
"Is there somewhere we can go?"  
"I'm headed back to my room to clean myself up"  
"I'll walk you." He said. She nodded and they continued up the hallway together.  
"Here, give me that" He said taking her bag and slinging it over his shoulder. Her first though was what a gentleman he was, her second thought made her want to snatch it back and run. She swallowed her pride, there was no point in arguing or making a scene.  
  
She scanned her card on the reader and her door opened. She took the bag from him and opened it, throwing her towel into the hamper and putting her drink bottle back in the bar fridge. She slid the wardrobe door open and dropped her gym bag into it's spot on the floor in there. She pulled one of the drawers open and got some clean clothes out before closing it and sliding the door shut.  
"I'm having a shower, feel free to watch TV... Or whatever it is you want to do." She said tiredly. He nodded and sat himself on the end of the bed. She went into her bathroom and closed the door behind her, locking it too.  
  
She felt refreshed when she came out. It was a quick shower but definitely needed. She opened the bathroom door, somewhat surprised that he'd stuck around. She rubbed her hair with the towel before throwing it in the top of the hamper, making a mental note that she needed to do the washing tomorrow.  
She looked up at him, not knowing what to say or what to expect. He had kicked his shoes off and was sitting up on her bed, propped up on the pillows.  
"Quite comfortable?" She said sarcastically. She went to her drawer, got an elastic out and tied her damp hair back in a messy bun. She looked back over at him when he didn't answer her. He patted the bed next to him, motioning for her to sit and talk with him.  
  
_Jerk or not, he looks pretty gorgeous in the lamp light... Shut up brain, now's not the time!_  
  
She shook the thought out of her head and took two drinks from the bar fridge, offering him one before she sat down. He popped the lid off his with his metal hand, and then hers. He was handy to have around when there were no bottle openers. She took a long swig of her drink and let out a breath of relief.  
"I needed that" She said, her voice barely above a whisper.  
"You need alcohol to talk to me?" He questioned  
"That's not what I meant, but now that you mention it..." She joked, hating how awkward this was.  
"Zara, I'm really sorry about how I acted yesterday. I'm not good with this kind of stuff." He admitted.  
"What kind of stuff would that be?" She asked.  
"You know what I mean."  
"Actually no I don't Bucky. You're not exactly sending me clear signals here." She said. "I'm not good at this either, but it makes it hard when I can't tell if you're being genuine or not." She said, looking him in the eyes.  
"Believe me, my feelings are genuine" He said, looking right back at her.  
"Unless you're in public..."  
"That's not fair"  He objected.  
"No, it's NOT fair" She said right back.  
"Don't use my words against me" He said, keeping his voice low.  
"You're using your own words against you" She said, getting up and striding across the room. She sat her drink down on the counter and she wasn't surprised when she turned to see him standing right behind her.  
"This isn't easy for me" He repeated, clenching his jaw.  
"What's not easy Bucky? I can't read your mind, I don't know what you want. You wanted to talk, but you're sure as hell not saying much." She said, getting frustrated. He leaned in to kiss her but she dodged his advance.  
"No!! You can't just DO that!" She snapped. Bucky stood blinking in astonishment. Zara clenched her jaw and backed herself into the counter, flattening her hands against the cupboards to stop them trembling.  
"I thought this was what you wanted" He said, confused.  
"That's not the point Bucky. What do YOU want? What does Bucky Barnes want?"  
"I want you, Zara! Can't you see that!?" He said, slamming his hand down on the counter top. Zara jumped at the loud bang it made, turning back to him she opened her mouth to say something but he interrupted her.  
"I want you." He repeated, composing himself. He looked so vulnerable suddenly. Zara nodded, her heart breaking for him.  
  
_Bless his poor damaged soul._  
  
It was easy to forget that he'd been through hell and back again. It was only this time last year he was a lost assassin in rehabilitation with Shield... Less than 2 years ago he was a Hydra killing machine with no memories and no feelings at all. She suddenly felt awful for being so hard on him, but this was just as hard on her.  
  
"Just for the night?" She asked.  
"I want you for as long as you'll have me" Came his answer.  
"But you don't want anyone to know?"  
"I don't care who knows" He answered, somewhat frustrated. She looked into his eyes. He looked so confused and worried.  
"What do YOU want, Zara?"  
"I think you know what I want, Bucky"  
"So kiss me" He said, firmly.  
"I want to..."  
"Then what's the problem?" He snapped.  
"You'll ignore me tomorrow. Tomorrow you'll pull away from me." She said, her voice faltering.  
"Oh Zara... Is that what you think I did?" He said, suddenly looking like he'd been slapped. He shook his head and a hint of a smile crossed his lips.  
"What am I supposed to think?" She answered.  
"I didn't touch you in front of that guy because there are rules against fraternization in the classroom. It wasn't you, I just didn't want to get either of us into trouble."  
Zara paused for a moment and suddenly felt like a complete imbecile. She'd read it in the damn handbook and forgotten it when she got lost in the moment. He flirted, and her mind went out the window.  
"But you wouldn't talk to me" She said. "When I got back to the classroom"  
"You were so angry at me..." He said. "I didn't know what to say." There was a long pause, Zara looked at him suspiciously.  
"Zara, I'm no good at this kind of thing. You need to trust me." He said, taking her hands. "You're shaking" He added.  
"I'm terrified" She laughed. He loosened his grip on her hands.  
"I didn't mean to frighten you." He said, backing off.  
"No, you didn't frighten me"  
"I can leave" He offered.  
"That's what I'm terrified of" She said. Bucky stepped back in and kissed her. She kissed him back this time and felt his mouth smile against hers.  
"I'll stay" He promised, a victorious look on his face.  
"Good" She said back as he kissed her again, backing her up towards the bed and pushing her onto it. He crawled onto the bed and paused over her, kissing her tenderly before dropping down onto his elbows, their bodies were touching. He brushed a hair from her face.  
"This is what I want, Zara" He said, his voice low. "I want you to be my girl. Always."  
"I'm all yours." She answered, keeping her voice soft. "On one condition"  
"What's that?" He said, his expression suddenly worried.  
"Loose the shirt..."  
His face went from a worried expression, to a sexy grin as he rose upright, and lifted his shirt over his head, dropping it on the floor. Zara's eyes almost popped out of her head as they drank in every inch of him.  
  
_Holy fucking shit..._  
  
She kneeled up on the bed and put her hands against his flesh, running her hands up his abs and tracing the line where his metal arm connected to his body. He winced slightly, and she took her hand off him.  
"No, it's okay, you can touch" He said, taking her hand and placing it on the angry looking scar. "It's just sensitive" He smiled at her. She ran her hands down his shoulders and stopped on his biceps. Those ridiculous biceps. She smiled, making him chuckle, fondly. Her hands trembled again as she ran her hand down his metal arm.  
"Can you feel that?" She asked, her face full of curiosity.  
"Yep, it's not like my other arm, but I can feel pressure, and where you're touching." He said, his voice whisper - low. He rotated it, opening his hand and then closing it into a fist, the plates moving as it re-calibrated. It made a noise she could only describe as 'robotic' which made her jump back. Bucky smiled, he understood how intimidating it could be.  
"I'm sorry" She said, feeling guilty suddenly.  
"Don't be. It's just something you'll have to get used to. It won't hurt you, it's just another part of me." He said, putting the hand out to her. She looked him in the eye and took it and he pulled her to her feet. He cupped her face with his metal hand and kissed her again, letting it build from tender to passionate, gripping her waist with his flesh hand. Zara's heart started to race and she felt Bucky's mouth smiling against hers mid-kiss. She pulled back from him and shoved him, causing him to fall back onto the bed. She crawled over so she was straddling him, and lifted her tank top off, tossing it over her shoulder.  
Bucky bit his lip and shook his head in disbelief.  
  
"This is gonna be a long night" He said.  
"I'm counting on it..."  



	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear, everything's going great, and BAM another curve-ball! The past has a way of catching up to us. Going to wrap this story up in the next couple of chapters, things are going to get mighty tough but the sequel has already been started :D Thanks again for all the kudos, hits and comments as always! Hope you guys enjoy! xx

  
  
  
Zara woke up wrapped up in the strong, warm arms of Bucky Barnes. It was still hours before they were due to wake up, but with her irregular sleep patterns this was quite normal for her. She felt him smile against the back of her neck and kiss her skin. She rolled over to face him, the city lights outside making it easy for adjusted eyes to see in the dark of her room.  
"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" She said, brushing his hair back from his face.  
"It's okay, I was worried about you"  
"Oh don't worry about me, I'm a bad sleeper" She said, her voice a whisper. "And now I've woken you up" She frowned.  
"It's fine, I don't actually sleep much myself. Super soldier perk" He said, giving her a smile. "Are you always this jumpy, or is it me?" He asked, his voice suddenly taking on an apologetic tone.  
"Usually worse. Much worse" She reassured him.  
"I'm glad I had a calming influence on you" He said, kissing her on the forehead as his hand settled on her waist. "What were you dreaming about?" He asked.  
"When I was taken... Same dream most nights" She answered. His expression darkened.  
"Taken?" He asked.  
"Yeah, it was a long time ago. When I was 17 I think. Mom and Dad had Hydra come and pick me up. They yanked me out of bed in the middle of the night. Haven't slept through since then really" She said, nonchallantly. Bucky pursed his lips and gave her a sympathetic look.  
"That won't ever happen again" He said. "If someone came through that door they'd have me to deal with"  
"Good to know that I'm safe with you" She giggled.  
"Well... I don't know about safe" He grinned and he positioned himself on top of her as he growled into her neck. Zara laughed as she playfully tried to fight him off. He held her still and kissed her, pulling back to give her a genuine smile which she returned.  
"We still have an hour and a half before we have to be up" She said, glancing at the digital clock on her bedside table.  
"We'll have to be quick then" He grinned, kissing her neck.  
"An hour and an half is quick?!"  
"Super soldier" He reminded her with a wink.  
"Should I be worried?"  
"Very"  
  
  
Zara finished tying her hair back and swiped on some red lipstick. She smiled to herself as she straightened her tank top and stepped out of the bathroom, picking up her runners on the way.  
"Oh you made the bed!" She smiled. "Careful, I might mistake you for a gentleman..."  
"I'm only a gentleman in public" He said, grinning.  
"That is becoming evident" She laughed, and shook her head at him. He pulled his hair off his face and smiled when she handed him a spare elastic.  
"Okay, I'm all set" She said, lifting her gym bag by the strap onto her shoulder. He held the door open for her and she locked it behind them.  
They both stood looking at each other for a moment before Bucky grinned and put an arm over her shoulder, pulling in is close. They passed a few familliar faces in the hallway who gawked at the pair, some giving a wink and a smile, some standing with mouths open in shock, and even a wolf whistle from a friend of Bucky's. Zara laughed as Bucky shot him a look.  
  
_Protective boyfriend... How cute_  
  
"I'll see you this afternoon" He said when they got to Romanov's training room.  
"Sounds good" she said as he kissed her on the cheek, making her blush.  
  
  
The class went for a good couple of hours and Zara found herself absolutely exhausted by the end of it. Looking around the room everyone was puffing and red, and these were all super fit girls, too. She stretched her neck to either side and let out a deep breath, it was a relief when the class slowed down.  
An unexpected mission had come up and there would be at least a couple of days without anyone there. All 5 ladies were told to stretch, rest up and be back in top form and ready to go the second Natasha got back.  
Zara dug her phone out of her bag to find a missed call and a text from Bucky that read 'Call me as soon as you can'. She pressed the redial button and he answered on the fourth ring.  
"Hey" Came his voice.  
"Hey, what's up?"  
"Going on a mission" He said, reluctantly.  
"What, right now!?"  
"Yeah, leaving soon, come up to my room." He said.  
"On my way" She said, and she hurried to the elevator.  
  
Bucky opened the door and let her in, closing it behind her. He was dressed in his tactical gear, guns and knives in holsters, bulletproof vest on and hair tied back. He looked so intimidating. Zara's heart began to race.  
"What's happening, Buck?" She asked, worried.  
"I'm not allowed to say too much, but there's an opportunity to apprehend someone we've been after."  
"Look at you in all your gear, it's going to be dangerous isn't it?" She said, running her hand down his metal arm.  
"Yeah it's a big one, but I'll be okay. I'm tough" He said, pulling her into a reassuring hug.  
"You look tough" She said, earning a laugh from him.  
"I'll have Romanov and Steve with me." He said, planting a kiss on her temple.  
"Why take Romanov?"  
"You ask a lot of questions." He chuckled. "Sometimes you can't send a man to do a woman's job" He said, giving her a wink.  
"Oooh"  
"How was your class?" He asked.  
"Long and tough, you wore me out" She said, making them both laugh. There was a knock on the door and Steve's voice called in.  
"It's open!" Bucky answered as he gathered the last of his things. Steve stepped in and said hi to them both, smiling warmly at Zara. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, anxious to get out there.  
The three of them stepped out into the hallway and Steve locked the door as Bucky turned to sling his duffel bag over his shoulder.  
"All set?" Steve asked.  
"Yep, ready to roll." Bucky answered.  
"See you when we get back, Zara." Steve said, kis voice kind and friendly as always.  
"Stay safe, guys" She said. Bucky stepped over to her, pulled her in and kissed her tenderly, letting his lips linger on hers a moment before he pulled away, still cupping her face.  
"I'll see you when I get back" He said, his voice just over a whisper. Zara leaned in and gave him another kiss.  
"Oh, get a room, you two!" Steve jokingly scolded.  
"Have we got time?" Bucky came back with a wink.  
"No we don't" Steve said, trying unsuccessfully to not laugh. Zara giggled.  
"Go on then go kick some ass" She said to them, and then they were off down the hallway.  
  
  
The next two days were tense ones. Zara felt like an army wife waiting for word that they were all okay. She had gone against Romanov's wishes the first day, hitting the gym for a big session, and subsequently had slept well that night. The second day she stretched and rested, offering Coulson some help running a few errands, and on the third day she found herself in Romanovs training room alone.  
Zara glanced at the clock, she'd received a message from Romanov saying be in the training room at 7.00am sharp, and here she was, 6.59am in the room alone.  
  
_Am I in the right room? Did I come at the wrong time? Where the hell are the other ladies..._  
  
As the clock hit 7.00 she walked in, sporting a few bruises that had been expertly covered by her makeup. Zara swallowed hard, and her mind suddenly went to Bucky.  
"Good Morning Zara" She said, giving a smile.  
"Good Morning Natasha."  
"You can call me Nat" She said, giving a smile "Everyone else does"  
Zara clenched her jaw nervously.  
"Where are the others?" She found the courage to ask.  
"Their class starts at 9" She answered.  
"Can I ask why I'm having my class separate to theirs?"  
"Because I want to do a bit of extra work with you." Natasha said, the corners of her plump lips curving into a smile. Zara's face flushed.  
  
_I knew I couldn't do this... I'm falling behind already..._  
  
She was already warmed up, so they went straight into 1 on 1 combat training. Zara was surprised how she was able to keep up with Natasha Romanov. She was 99.9% sure that Natasha was going easy on her, but found the fight style very similar. Lots of almost acrobatic fight moves and it was all done fast.  
"Now that we've gotten started how about we pick up the pace?" Nat said, taking a drink from her water bottle.  
"I thought that WAS fast?" She answered. Nat laughed a little.  
"Don't worry, we'll get you up to speed soon enough..."  
The class wore on, and Zara finished up feeling quite confident. Natasha had had a talk to her, saying they would continue the 1 on 1 training for a while.  
  
_At least I'll have a chance to catch up to the others..._  
  
"Natasha... Nat... Thanks for giving me some extra help, I really appreciate it." She said with a genuine smile.  
"Don't mention it, kid" She answered with a somewhat puzzled look on her face. Zara smiled and left, heading back to her own room at a somewhat slow pace. She leaned against the wall of the shower, letting the hot water open her sore muscles as she let out an exhausted sigh. She dressed herself and there was a message from Coulson asking her to come to his office and run some errands for him. She spent the day doing odd jobs around the building, keeping a lookout for Steve and Bucky who she was hoping to see safely back.  
It wasn't till late that night she got a text off Bucky 'Home safe' which made her smile with relief. Less than 10 minutes later there was a knock on her bedroom door and she was delighted to see it was him.  
  
  
The next few weeks wore on much the same. Bucky and Zara settled into a routine, every morning she trained hard with Romanov, and Bucky had 2 other missions, one overnight-er and another that lasted for three days. Steve had been overjoyed at the news that Bucky and Zara had started dating, and the news had spread around the building and been well received by most.  
Romanov had warned Zara to be careful, and told her that if the relationship jeopardized her work, then she would loose her spot on the team. 'Sometimes deep cover means you have to play a part. A part that a boyfriend may not like' she had said. This had made Zara uneasy.  
The missions started for Zara, working alongside Romanov like a perfect team. Bucky had not been happy about her going out without him being there or not knowing where she was, but was proud of her all the same.  
  
Zara gritted her teeth as she stretched her neck. Bucky was massaging her shoulder with enough pressure to make the muscle crack with every stroke.  
"I thought massages were supposed to feel nice?" She complained.  
"Not when you're in knots" He said, frowning. He found another tight spot and Zara flinched when he pressed his thumb into it.  
"Sorry babe" He said sympathetically. "You'll feel better afterward, I promise"  
As it turned out, he was right. She felt like she'd been beaten up, but at least her muscles were loose.  
"Thanks Bucky" She said, turning to kiss him.  
"Don't let it get that bad again, okay." He said, kissing her back.  
"Deal" She leaned against him, her back against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.  
"Oh you guys are so cute" Came a friendly voice. Geneva strode across the rec room and plopped down on the big red couch beside them.  
"Bucky I have this creak in my back just here..." She twisted to point to her shoulder-blade. He let out a deep, throaty laugh and raised his metal hand, waving the fingers.  
"I'm all worn out from this one" he said, nodding down toward Zara "But lefty will go all day! It's been known to crush bones though, so I'll need you to sign a wavier" He said, giving her a wink.  
"I think you crushed MY poor bones" Zara complained light-heartedly.  
"I'll make it up to you later, honey" He purred, making her giggle.  
"Maybe I'll pass" Geneva laughed. "On the first part, the second part sounds nice though!"  
 Zara smiled at her, Geneva and her had become close friends over the past few weeks. She was a very open, 'no bullshit' kind of girl which had made her easy to get along with.  
"Don't say I didn't offer" Bucky chuckled again "The second part is a girlfriend-only perk"  
"What do you see in this smart-ass? Honestly!?" Geneva scolded, hands on hips. Zara laughed again.  
"The perks are pretty great" She said, giving a wink, all three of them bursting into laughter.  
"I need to find me some perks" Geneva said, casting an eye around the room. "Got any cute friends?" She asked Bucky.  
"I'll ask around" He smiled.  
  
  
It was great having a few days off together, doing 'couple' things. There wasn't a whole lot they could do in the building which was why Bucky was so excited about the surprise he had planned.  
Zara's phone rang, she smiled when she saw his name flash up on the caller ID.  
"Hey" She said.  
"Hey there. What'ya doin?" He asked.  
"Nothing, just finished drying my hair, what about you?"  
"Well, how about you get yourself dressed up all cute and we'll go grab a coffee"  
"Sounds great" She said, smiling.  
"You have no idea" He said.  
Zara hung up somewhat confused by his comment and got changed into her favorite skinny jeans and boots, and a cute black top covered with an open cropped leather jacket. A swipe of mascara and she was good to go. There was a knock at her door which she answered as she was putting her earrings in.  
"That was quick!" She said as Bucky leaned in to kiss her.  
"You look gorgeous" He said.  
"Oh thanks, so do you" She said, shooting him a smile. He took her scarf off the hook behind her door and handed it to her.  
"Bucky I'm not going to need a scarf"  
"It's cold outside"  
"We're going outside!?"  
"I talked to Coulson, got you a day pass" He grinned.  
"Oh my god, Bucky!!" She said, jumping into his arms with excitement. He let out a laugh.  
"It's only for a few hours though and we still have to be careful."  
"Of course! Oh my god I can't believe it" She said again, beaming. She wrapped the scarf loosely around her neck and took his hand.  
It was weird stepping outside without a mission or a care in the world. Zara's cheeks hurt from smiling already, and Bucky had laughed at her. They made their way to a local cafe and had coffee and cake, followed by a walk hand in hand through the park. It was a cold day, but the sun was shining and there wasn't a breath of wind.  
"This is just perfect" She said, letting her head lean on his shoulder as they stopped to look over the water. "Thank you so much"  
"You're welcome" He said, putting his arm around her protectively and kissing her forehead.  
  
They took their time walking back, taking in the city air. Zara felt Bucky tense and he stopped and dropped his arm from her shoulder. Before Zara had time to ask him what was wrong, he pulled her in front of him quite forcefully and there was a loud 'TING' as he turned and deflected something with his metal arm. He grabbed her and ran like hell, ducking when he heard gunfire. They luckily hadn't gone far from the Shield building, and it was a relief when they got safely down the alleyway and into the parking lot entrance. He hit the door button and put Zara against it behind his back, pulling out a gun from the back of his jeans and holding it up in front of them.  
Zara felt the door open behind her, she backed through it, pulling Bucky in after her. He slammed it shut, they were safe. Zara couldn't remember ever seeing him so stressed out. He looked her up and down frantically, checking for wounds.  
"Are you hurt!?" He asked  
"No, no Bucky I'm fine, are you okay?" She asked.  
"I'm fine" He said, putting something in his pocket and grabbing her hand. He whisked her into the building, and they were stopped by Steve in the corridor.  
"Bucky! What the hell is going on?" He asked, looking at the hand he was tightly holding Zara's with, and the other hand holding a gun.  
"We have a problem" Bucky said. "Follow me."  
  
They opened the door to Bucky's room, Zara was shaking from head to toe. Steve eyeballed Bucky as he closed the door.  
"They're hunting her" He said to Steve, a desperate look in his blue eyes.  
"What are you talking about!?" Steve said, trying to wrap his head around it.  
"We were out walking today, and somebody shot at us- She said.  
"It wasn't SOMEBODY it was Hydra." Bucky said, cutting her off.  
"Are you sure?" Steve asked  
"One hundred percent" He said firmly. "They didn't shoot at me, they shot at Zara. I blocked it."  
"Oh my god" Zara whispered, suddenly feeling dizzy.  
"They weren't shooting to kill her, they were shooting to take her down" He said, pulling a dart out of his pocket and placing it on the desk. "I caught it" He said. Steve picked the dart up, most of the liquid inside had leaked out due to it breaking against Bucky's metal hand.  
"We'll have Banner test what it is" He said. "Seems strange that they'd go for her and not you"  
"A tranq isn't going to do much to you or I Steve, probably the same reason we can't get drunk" He said. "They wouldn't try and take me down in broad daylight, in public..."  
"Why would they try and take me down then, if they knew I was out, surely they knew I was going to be with you" She said.  
"Maybe not. Maybe word got out that you were given a day pass. Either way it was an aggressive move." Bucky said, crossing his arms.  
"Surely James Buchanan Barnes, their 'Winter Soldier' is more valuable to capture than I am!? I Just don't get it. It would make sense if they were trying to take me to get to you... I'm nothing special to them, just an enemy." She said.  
"Well, you took their base down, and started a war with them that they haven't finished." Bucky said. "There are worse things they can do to you than kill you..." He added, his expression darkening. Zara knew exactly what he meant, and it sent a shiver straight through her.  
"We need to tell Coulson" Steve said. "Last time they went after her they tore the building down... Everybody's at risk." He said, his voice solemn.  
"You're right. Zara doesn't go on any more missions, and she doesn't leave my sight." Bucky said with an authoritative tone.  
"If they want their revenge on me, why don't they just come and get it? Nobody else needs to get hurt, this is on me." She said.  
"NOBODY get's hurt. Not you or anyone else" Bucky said, giving a stressed sigh.  
Steve nodded and pulled his phone out, dialing Coulson's number. Bucky noticed Zara wiping a tear from her face and went over to her, pulling her in for a hug.  
"Everything was going so well" She said, her voice breaking.  
"I know..." He soothed.  
"We need to take them out." She said, angry now.  
"No, we need to lay low and figure out what our next move is" He said.  
"We're sitting ducks, Bucky. They know where we are, it's only a matter of time now" She said.  
"Because the vigilante thing has worked out so great in the past, hasn't it!?" He snapped. "So don't even THINK about doing anything stupid" He added. Zara pursed her lips and pushed herself out of his grip, crossing her arms.  
"I can't wait around for them to come and hurt the people I love." She said, choking up.  
"I know how you feel. Someone I love is in danger, too" He said, hands gripping her upper arms tightly. "You're safe as long as I'm around" He said, pulling her into a hug as her tears fell.  
  
_That's what I'm afraid of..._


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, just a quick update, will proof-read it tonight when I get back home from work. 
> 
> Aftermath of the attack, Bucky cuteness, and an action plan is hatched...

  
  
"It is a tranquiler compound" Bruce banner said, flicking his test tube twice as the liquid inside changed color. He held his breath as he squeezed a drop of the original sample onto a second test tube and it turned another color. He gave it a swirl and flicked it twice again and the color began to stabilize.  
"Well I'll be damned..." He said thoughtfully.  
"What is it?" Steve said, getting slightly on edge.  
"Basically it's an anticholinergic." He said, holding it up, peering into the tube. "It's unstable though, see how the color doesn't want to stay uniform?"  
"In English, Bruce..."  
"It blocks the chemical in your brain that is the neurotransmitter for memory. This particular drug works a bit differently to your normal sleeper though... This stuff will put you to sleep and keep you there until you're given something to wake you back up again. Sort of like a general anesthetic, but the neuro compound is really strong. Probably the strongest I've seen."  
"So they tried to wipe her?" Steve asked angrily.  
"No, this alone wouldn't do the trick permanently, they would use this in conjunction with 'alternative therapies' but this would certainly get the process started" He said, frowning. "It would have your usual side effects like confusion, incoherent speech, blurred vision and memory loss. I don't know how much for sure, I guess it depends on the individual. If she was sensitive to it, short term would be gone, and possibly the last few months. As I said before though, it's unstable, so there's no telling what kind of crap they added to it. All I can say for sure is that it would only take a few mils to render you fairly helpless. Not much more for a complete knockout."  
  
  
  
Zara hadn't managed to get much sleep that night. She hadn't been this anxious in her whole life, and Bucky being in in full blown protective mode was actually making it worse. He had paced the first half of the night, and the second half she had convinced him to lie in bed with her, but he hadn't slept until the wee hours of the morning, and even then he had been restless.  
When Zara's eyes opened it was only just on dawn, the dim morning light peeking it's way through the blinds. The first thing she saw was Bucky's metal arm draped over her, a gun still in his hand. The thought was sobering, she wasn't sure if she felt sick or not. As she stirred to get up, she felt his flesh arm tighten around her in a desperate instant, and the metal arm raise the gun to the door, clicking the hammer. Zara's heart raced, and her breathing took off at a million miles per hour.  
  
_Yep, definitely feel sick._  
  
As quick as he snapped into fight-mode, Bucky relaxed as if he was on auto-pilot. She hadn't seen this side of him, but had heard plenty of stories.  
"Are you okay?" She asked as they sat up together, Zara looking into his blue eyes.  
"Yeah. Sorry I frightened you" He said, thumbing the safety back on and placing the pistol down on his bedside table. "Are you okay?"  
"I'm fine" She said.  
"No you're not... You're shaking, and your heart rate is through the roof." He said, eying her. She took a deep breath and let it out as she turned away from him.  
"It's just... Shit" She said, "this whole situation."  
"I know" He agreed.  
"I'm tense, you're tense, we're both jumping out of our skins... And for what? It's ridiculous." She said, "If they wanted me, they've had plenty of opportunity, why now? Why me? Are they using me to get to you? Why the games, just get it over with!" Her chest was heaving and her hands had begun to shake again. Bucky pulled her onto his lap and held her until the shakes went away.  
"It's no good getting worked up trying to analyze the situation. The minds of Hydra work very differently to ours, it could be something as simple as revenge, it could be something more sinister. The only thing you have to worry about is staying put here, where you're safe. As I have said all along, you're safe as long as you're with me." He said, looking into her eyes now.  
"That's what worries me Bucky, I don't want them to make you pay for my mistakes"  
"I honestly think the case is more the opposite way around, Zara. Think about it - I got away from Hydra, betrayed them by going back to shield, took you from them in the collapse of the base, and came to your aid in BOTH attacks. Then dangled you in front of them when we went out for coffee yesterday... That was stupid of me." He said, his brows creasing.  
"Who's over-analyzing now?" She said, "It's not your fault, and our date wasn't stupid at all. It didn't end great but I was having fun while it lasted" She said, offering him a smile which he didn't return. He clenched his jaw and looked away, lost in thought. She pushed his hair back and kissed his forehead.  
"I'll keep you safe, Zara. That's all that matters" He said.  
  
  
A couple of days later Zara found herself wandering down the hallway to her room. Bucky had decided it was safest if she stayed with him until further notice, but she needed fresh clothes and a few of her things. She let herself into the room, and found it as she'd left it that day. She closed the door behind her and pulled her gym bag from the closet and began filling it with clothing and toiletries. Not that she didn't love Bucky's cologne, she just preferred it on him, not her. She pulled the neck of her sweater up to her nose and breathed it in as she thought of him. Zara smiled to herself. She picked up a framed picture and gazed into it, distracted suddenly when there was a knock at her door.  
"It's Steve" Came a friendly voice from the other side.  
"It's open" She called back.  
"Hi there" He said as he walked in, closing the door behind him.  
"Good to see you, Steve" she said, giving him a tight hug.  
"How are you holding up?" He asked.  
"Yeah I'm fine, just anxious to go get something done about this situation once and for all" She said. Steve chuckled.  
"Well, we're working out what that next step is as we speak." He said. "What's that you have there?" He asked, nodding toward the picture in her hand.  
"The picture you took of Bucky and I, a few weeks ago at Tony's" She said, showing him. It had been at one of the 'after work drinks' nights Tony often had. Bucky had surprised Zara by showing up. He'd been away on a mission, and wasn't due back for several days. He had gotten straight off the jet, and gone straight to the party, Zara had thrown her arms around him and everyone had cheered.  
In the photo he was still in his black combat pants and shirt, and she had been in a cute red mini-dress she'd borrowed from Skye, hair out. They were smiling into the camera, Bucky was standing behind her and she was wrapped in his arms.  
"That was such a good night" She said, reminiscing.  
"I'm glad you guys have each other" Steve said, smiling.  
"In the beginning you weren't" She laughed, poking fun at him.  
"I just didn't want to see either of you hurt if it didn't work out" He said, defensively. "You got so close so fast and you're so similar, I thought you'd clash. I'm glad I was wrong"  
"Hey, I had my doubts too. Don't you worry about that" She laughed. "Here was I thinking in the beginning he wasn't sure about us. Wasn't sure about me..."  
"It's funny, he said the same thing to me one night about you." Steve laughed. "He was so damn protective of you, he was worried he'd do something stupid to mess it all up. He didn't want to hurt you"  
"He has a big heart, doesn't he?" She said fondly.  
"Not many people get to see that side of Bucky Barnes" Steve said. "I didn't think that side would ever come out again when he first came to Shield."  
"It was bad, huh?"  
"It was worse than you'd think." Steve said, his tone low.  
"I know Dr Reeves got hurt. She said he was quite... Reactive"  
"A few people got hurt trying to help him. He wouldn't even talk to me. Truth is, that day that we pulled you and Sam out of the rubble was the first time I felt like he was back on my team. We weren't even supposed to be working together, it was just a coincidence we were in the area when it all went down."  
"It was meant to be..." She said, humbled.  
"Bucky pulled you out, and I think his heart broke a little. He'd been where you were, trapped in one of those bunkers, tortured, manipulated... And there you were, bloodied and helpless after fighting your way out. A very broken arm, from memory. Something changed in him that day, and like magic he started speaking to me again. I got my friend back" He said with a fondness in his voice. "He wasn't the same Bucky I knew, he was an aggressive, moody, reactive version of the guy I once knew, but under all that anger, it was him."  
"He's still moody" Zara said, lightening the mood again, making Steve laugh.  
"You two brought the best out in each other. Neither of you would take kindness, pressure or orders, you were both as stubborn and angry as the other, and somehow you've just meshed. I think because he was there right from the start he was always very protective of you" Steve said.  
"And I of him, much to our detriment sometimes. There's no price I wouldn't pay to keep him safe"  
"That's what worries me" He said. "Bucky has said the same about you" They both stayed silent for a couple of moments, Zara running her finger across the photo of her and Bucky, clearing a fine layer of fresh dust off the glass.  
"I'm scared of what might happen" She said. "If something was to happen to one of us, I don't think the other could cope... If something does go down we'd have to be in it together or not at all..." She said, taking a deep breath. Steve put his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder.  
"We'll get through this, and we'll do it as a team." He said, reassuringly.  
"Thanks Steve. You've always been a good friend to me. Even though I've been... Somewhat difficult." She said. "Sorry about that"  
"Oh don't mention it!" He said, giving her a squeeze. "Just don't go giving me any more heart attacks" He laughed.  
"Poor old man" She jested, earning another chuckle from him as he let her go and stood up.  
"Do you need a hand with anything?" He offered.  
"No I'm just going to grab a few things and head back to Bucky's"  
"Okay. We're having a sit down with Coulson and Tony to go over a few things. When you've taken your stuff back, come with Buck and meet us in Tony's apartment around 6. He said something about Chinese food" He said with a smile.  
"Will do" She nodded, stuffing the picture frame into her bag. "Thanks for the chat, Steve"  
"Anytime" He smiled.  
  
  
  
Zara came to Bucky's door and knocked twice with the back of her hand as she juggled her bag and return a text message from Geneva. She smiled when he opened the door, taking the heavy bag from her shoulder with one hand, while the other hand found the small of her back and pulled her in for a kiss.  
"My, my, Bucky Barnes" she giggled. He smiled as she stepped in and closed the door behind her.  
"You look cute" She said.  
"Do I?" He almost looked surprised. She nodded and smiled at him. He was wearing a loose knit sweater and had his hair out like he usually did at home.  
"Look what I found" She said, unzipping the bag and fishing out the picture frame, handing it to him. He smiled fondly at it and took his time taking in the moment.  
"Why don't I have a copy of this?" He asked, mock-stern.  
"You can keep that one, I'll get another one printed out for when I go back to my room.  
"What makes you think I'll let you go?"  
"You'll get sick of me eventually" She laughed.  
"No, I'm way too possessive. Lets be honest" He joked, making her laugh again. He placed the picture up on his shelf and she took her toiletries to the bathroom and found The drawer he said he'd emptied for her.  
  
_Awwww, Bucky..._  
  
"Oh Buck, almost forgot to tell you!" She called through the door, "I spoke to Steve just now, he said we're having a sit down tonight at Tony's"  
"I'm glad they've organized something. I said to Steve last night he'd have to stir Coulson up and get something in the works." He said, appearing in the doorway.  
"Yeah, me too. I've been thinking about it non-stop. We need to come up with a plan, I just want this over." She said.  
  
  
Bucky and Zara met up with Steve and Coulson in the elevator to Tony's floor. They made small talk and walked into the room, where Pepper was bringing food in for everyone on the table. They all greeted each other and sat down to eat. Bruce Banner arrived a few minutes late but was quick to find a seat and load his plate up.  
"So what's the plan?" Steve said, after he'd finished his last mouthful, looking around the room.  
"I'm open to ideas" Coulson said in his usual friendly way.  
"I have an idea" Tony said, raising a finger as if to shush everyone. "Mass. Aerial. Attack" He said matter-of-factly.  
"We don't have time to orchestrate that" Bucky said, frustrated.  
"Element of surprise" He said flatly without looking at him.  
"How long would we have to wait?" Zara piped up.  
"It's not such a bad idea" Coulson said.  
"Of course it's not a bad idea. It came from my brain" Tony interjected. "Think about it - Hydra are set up in bases all over the world, much like we do. We know where most of the bases are - minus the few that Mrs Barnes blew up" He said, gesturing towards Zara, making her blush a little.  
"I say we do a large scale co-ordinated attack, send out undetectable stealth jets to their bases, and when the time is right, we blow them off the grid. All at the same time. They won't have time to retaliate, or to warn the others. Their smaller bunkers won't have the artillery or the manpower to fight back. well, enough to do major damage." Tony explained and took a sip of his scotch.  
"Too dangerous to civilians. That many bomb-blasts will take out innocents" Steve argued.  
"Not if the explosion is directed downward, that would take out lower levels" Banner said.  
"Exactly. I already have a prototype drawn up. We drop them vertically and fit the nose with a driller. Easy" Tony said.  
"And those that withstand the explosion?" Bucky asked  
"Each stealth jet has a team of armed Shield specialists on board. We wouldn't need many." Coulson suggested. The table went quiet as everyone considered the plan.  
"Unless anyone has any better ideas?" Coulson asked. Everyone looked fairly satisfied. "How quick can you get these bombs made up?" He asked, looking over at Tony.  
"I can start tonight, we'll need to work out how many bases we're attacking, how many stealth jets are going out and a few other details. Distribution will be a piece of cake." He answered.  
"Sounds good. I have a phone conference with Fury in an hour when he gets back into civilization. I'll put the plan to him, and see if he has any input. If he gives us the go ahead, I'll send out scout teams tonight to get us started, and get in touch with Shield, worldwide." He said, looking at his watch.  
"Scotch, anyone?" Tony asked, picking up the crystal decanter.  
"Please" Bucky and Zara said at the same time.  
The night wore on and they stayed at Tony's waiting to hear from Coulson. A few details were added and revised. Zara watched from the couch as Bucky, Steve, Tony and Banner spoke. The plan sounded great, but there was something about going to ground that scared the hell out of her. It was a certainty that her and Bucky would be down there together, and all that was on her mind was Hydra taking him, killing him, or worse...  
She necked the last mouthful of her glass, and locked eyes with Bucky as he turned to face her. He'd caught her worried expression from across the room and made his way over to her.  
"Talk to me" He said, bobbing down in front of her so they were at eye level. She was distracted when Tony's phone rang, everyone going quiet and turning to him as he spoke very briefly and hung up the phone.  
"We're go, people" Tony announced, setting his glass down and making another call.  
  
_This is really happening..._


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of fluff and a bit of tension! On a role having 2 updates in a week - don't get used to it :P Already started the sequel, can't freaking wait to get it published! Thanks again for all of you for reading, commenting, and leaving me a kudos, you readers rock! - Kaytee xoxo

  
  
"You do know you're really short" Bucky said, pressing his hand on the top of her head, teasing her.  
"You do know you're a behemoth" She said, swatting his hand away. "Get back to work, we've only got 15 minutes to get this training room back to how we found it" Zara said, giving him a playful shove. He didn't move an inch, and after standing looking at her with a brow raised, he couldn't help but snicker.  
"I can't wear heels every day, you knew I was a Doc Martin girl right from the get go. Just for picking on me I should make you buy me another pair. I think I'd like purple ones" She pondered, looking down at the red ones she was wearing.  
"I was wondering when you'd start demanding I buy you shoes... Girls!" Bucky teased again, turning back to pick up the sparring pads. Zara reached into her net bag, pulling out a boxing glove and hurled it at the back of his head for being cheeky. The look on his face was positively priceless when he turned around. Zara bit her lip so she wouldn't laugh and watched as he picked the offending glove up off the ground and walked over to her, in a purposeful mock-angry strut. She dropped the bag on the floor and decided to make a break for it, but she was no match for how quick he was. He caught her, spun her around and smacked her on the butt with the glove.  
They had both collapsed on the gym floor, having absolutely lost it laughing, crying and all. Bucky looked over at her as she wiped her eyes, still laughing.  
"Let that be a lesson..." He said, trying his best to keep a straight face, but failing miserably. When they composed themselves he rolled onto his side cupped her face and kissed her, pulling her in close with one arm, gripping her hip with the other. It built in intensity quickly as it usually did between them, with Zara pulling away and giving him a cheeky smile.  
"Behave yourself" She warmed him with a giggle, "At least until later"  
Bucky smiled at her, pushing her loose hair back from her face. His expression was strange, he wasn't the easiest person to read sometimes, but he seemed almost lost in thought for a few moments.  
"What's wrong?" She asked, earning a soft smile from him.  
"Not a damn thing" said, his voice low. He landed another tender kiss on her lips. "This is perfect. You're perfect"  
"I feel exactly the same way about you, Buck" She smiled up at him.  
"I love you, Zara. I really do" He said, holding her gaze.  
"I love you too"  
  
  
  
Zara made her way down the hallway to Tony's lab with a small package Coulson had given her. The fluorescent lights overhead took her thoughts back to the time she'd sent in the infirmary after being shot.  
  
_Both times..._  
  
She stifled a laugh. She wondered what would come of this mass attack when it happened. Would she end up back in there? Would anyone else she cared about end up in there? Better that than the mortuary. She shivered at the thought. It wasn't going to be any normal attack, it wasn't really a war technically if it was to be executed according to plan. It was more like an extermination - a bit like that movie with the alien spaceships that Bucky had made her watch. 'Checkmate' the character had said.  
  
_Checkmate is right..._  
  
She looked down the hall and found her way to the elevator, pressing the floor number she needed and was relieved to find it empty when the doors opened. Ever since the attack on their last building she had found it uncomfortable to be in elevators or any cramped space with people she didn't know. For being so close to the senior Shield team and most of the Avengers team, she didn't know too many of the staff. Everyone seemed to know who she was though, which had been unsettling at best.  
The elevator door opened and she saw Steve and Tony leaning over a bench, looking into a series of computer screens. She knocked on the wall and Steve turned his head and smiled at her, making her feel welcome. She made her way cautiously around all the machinery and tech, stepping over cables and being careful not to touch anything.  
"Jones" Tony exclaimed, turning to her. "I believe you have something for me"  
"Here you go" She said, handing the package to him.  
"Thank you" He pulled the zip-tab, tearing the top off the bag, and tipped it upside down letting the USB inside drop into the palm of his hand. He plugged it into the computer and it loaded for a second. Zara shifted her weight from foot to foot, unsure if she should stay or go.  
"You can stay" Tony said, as if reading her mind. "It should be the results we were waiting for from the scout team"  
"So we'll know how many bases and their locations?" She asked.  
"Bingo"  
The computer lit up with a world map and a loading progress bar.  
"Coulson's software needs a good upgrade..." He complained  under his breath.  
"Surely there can't be that many Hydra bases around?" Zara questioned. "I mean after D.C we took most of them out didn't we?"  
"That's right. But, there were a lot of survivors that went to ground. There were the bases that you took out, but they obviously still have jets and manpower if they attacked our building" Steve said, Zara nodding in agreeance.  
"I wonder why they haven't blown this building to pieces?" She asked.  
"Don't jinx us. Please" Tony said, putting a hand up. Zara cracked a smile.  
"They don't want to take us out, we have something - someone, rather - that they want." Steve pointed out.  
"Is there any chance that I could just-"  
"NO" Steve cut her off, as if reading her mind. "You go in there, they'll only start this again to get to Bucky... God knows who else. This has to stop here." He said firmly, pushing any ideas out of her head.  
"So we're sending a message then, as well as doing as much damage as we possibly can..."  
"That's it, sweet cheeks" Tony said.  
The progress bar finally reached the end and they were presented with red marks on the map, representing each base. Just as they'd thought there weren't many, and they were mostly in major countries.  
"Jarvis, I need the number of exactly how many bases there are marked on the map, the co-ordinates for each listed, and the size and volume of each building and or bunker" Tony said.  
"Compiling that data for you now sir" Came the British voice of Tony's AI system.  
"What's the story with these two?" Zara asked pointing at the blue circled bases.  
"Headquarters by the looks of it?" Steve guessed. "They're bigger than the others, and they're both in different major countries."  
Once we know the human population of each building, we'll know. I'm inclined to think that one is a headquarters, and one is an aircraft and artillery storage unit. Going by the size alone, that is. All we have to do now is get together an estimate of how many bombs will take out each base, going by their size, depth and population. Then we can assign jets to each base, teams to each jet and we can start to put it all together." Tony explained. "Ready for some action?" He asked, looking at Zara.  
"I was born ready" She said firmly. "How do we divide up the teams, how many of you 'major players' are going to be on each jet?"  
"That depends entirely on which buildings are which. There's no use sending agents into storage bunkers, all we have to do is inflict damage on those. When the rest of this data comes through we will be able to come up with an approximate population for each base, and go from there. The higher the population, the more major the base, the bigger the team we need. At a guess I don't think many of these will be manned bases, Hydra are like roaches or parasites. They'd rather spread out and hide than put all their eggs in one basket. It's actually a good theory. Either way, if we do this right, they won't have much of an organization to go on with.  
  
  
  
Tony and Steve had both been right, the two major buildings were actually underground bunkers. Well, most of them were, really. One had been much more densely populated than the other, everyone collectively agreed that that must be their headquarters when compared again the populations of the other bases. There were only a few bases that were actually manned which meant their attack would take place in the next week or two, just as soon as the bombs had been completed and the release mechanisms fitted to the stealth jets.  
Coulson had hand-picked agents from his own team to step in and help, Natasha Romanov's team would be helping, Bucky, Zara and the Avengers team - minus Thor, of course. It was unanimously decided that there would be one jet per bunker, and two for the main one that they'd dubbed 'Hydra Headquarters'.  
Over the course of the week they had kept everyone in training, and together with Coulson, Steve and Tony had started dividing the teams up - who would be on what jet. The whole plan had been checked over by Fury from overseas, and had been given the okay.  
  
  
Zara arrived at Bucky's room alone after doing some combat training with Natasha. They only had a few more sessions before the big day, all going well. Zara swiped the card, unlocking Bucky's door, stepping into the dim room without looking up. She checked her phone for the time, it was late afternoon and she hadn't heard from him since the morning.  
  
_odd..._  
  
She kicked the door shut behind her and flicked the light-switch to find a large silver gift box on the bed, wrapped in a shiny red and black bow and a card that said 'For Zara, Luv Bucky xx'  
  
_What the hell?_  
  
She pulled her phone back out and called his number, not really sure what this was all about.  
"Hey there" He said in a flirty, almost smug tone.  
"Hi" She said. "Um, there seems to be a package here for me..."  
"Did you open it yet?"  
"No I just got in the door"  
"Well that's a coincidence, so did I" He said, as the apartment door opened. They hung their phones up and she stood looking at him with a confused expression.  
"Your face is hilarious" He laughed, walking over to her.  
"That's so sweet you got me a gift!" She said as he took her face in his hands and kissed her.  
"Do you know why?" He asked, his voice softening.  
"Is it something I should have gotten you a gift for? It's not valentines day is it?" She asked. "No... Wrong month" She panicked, suddenly feeling both awkward and guilty.  
"Zara..." He said, shutting her up. "Happy birthday"  
  
_WHAT!?_  
  
"Are you serious?" She asked, tears forming in her eyes.  
"You didn't know?" He laughed, pulling her in for a hug.  
"I haven't had one since I was still at my parents, it's been so long I'd forgotten all about it" She laughed, wiping her eye with a finger.  
"I found out the other day while I was going through some stuff with Coulson. He mentioned a few birthdays coming up. When he said one was yours I sent myself on a little mission." He said. Zara shook her head in astonishment.  
"So hurry up and open your damn present" He said, putting his arm around her and kissing her temple.  
"Okay, okay!" She laughed, pulling the end of the bow and lifting the lid off the box. "No way!" She exclaimed. Purple Doc Martins, she couldn't believe it.  
"Oh my god, thank you so much, Bucky!!" She said excitedly, throwing her arms around him.  
"That's just the start" He said, a wicked smile crossing his lips.  
"Bucky, no" She laughed. "You better not have gotten me anything else"  
But it was too late. He pulled another box out from under the bed, and it it she found a beautiful black mini-dress, a pair of red pumps, and a red beaded necklace to match.  
"I may have had some help for this one" He said, a somewhat shy look on his face. The name on the label wasn't a cheap one either. Zara couldn't believe it.  
"I figured you could wear it to your party tonight" He said. Her mouth dropped open and she wiped another tear from her eye and kissed him long and hard as he lowered her onto the bed.  
"Thank you so, so much for all of this. I've never had someone do something so sweet and thoughtful... Thank you"  
"You are very welcome" He said, pulling his shirt off and placing the boxes onto the bench-top. Zara watched him make his way back over, and lean over her. She looked his body up and down as he strode confidently across the room and bit her lip.  
"Is this my next present?" She asked. Bucky nodded, letting one side of his mouth curl up into a smile.  
"We have a couple of hours to kill, and then I have Skye coming around to help you doll up at 5.30." He said.  
"You're amazing" She said breathlessly as he unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down, throwing them into the corner.  
  
  
  
"So when did you become the resident hairdresser?" Zara joked as Skye pulled the curling wand through the last chunk of hair.  
"Since I ordered this baby online" She said, holding it up. Zara laughed and pulled the rubber separators out from her freshly painted toenails. Skye spritzed her hair with spray and announced that she was finished.  
"Thank you so much, Skye" She said, giving her friend a hug.  
"I'm not going anywhere till I see this dress on!" She said excitedly. Zara slipped into it. It was a tightly fitted strapless little black dress that showed off her athletic figure. Skye zipped the back up for her and fastened the little bead necklace behind Zara's neck.  
"Holy shit, you look amazing" Skye said. "Put the heels on!"  
Zara laughed, and slipped into the open toe red pumps, striking a pose.  
"I'm not just saying this, but you seriously... Oh my god, there are no words for how hot you look" Skye giggled again. They packed up all the makeup and supplies, Skye headed back to her room to slip into her own party frock. Zara checked the time, Bucky was due to come back to take her to the party. He was pretty keen to give the girls their space when the hairspray and makeup came out of the case, opting to go get ready at Steve's. Zara had texted him to let him know she was ready to go, and a few minutes later she heard the door open. Skye was right, Bucky's jaw dropped when he saw her.  
"Oh Zara" He said, as he laid eyes on her, making his way across the room. "Stunning..."he said, taking her had and giving her a twirl.  
"You scrub up pretty nice too, Barnes" She said, giving him a wink.  
"I am one lucky guy" He said shaking his head. Zara laughed and gave him a playful shove.  
"Stop it, you" She joked.  
"Your outfit is missing something..." He said, scratching his head. "Oh, I know!"  
"What?" She asked, suddenly worried. He pulled a small velvet bag from his pocket and pulled the drawstring, tipping the contents into the palm of his hand.  
"Give me your left arm" He said, and she did as she was told. He fastened a chunky cuff bracelet around her wrist.  
"Oh Bucky..." She gasped. "It's beautiful!"  
"It's white gold, and made tough enough that you can wear it all the time. If you choose to, of course" He smiled. He turned it around and revealed a red star pressed into the front, identical to the one painted on his metal arm. Shield had tried to convince him to have it re-sprayed or removed from his arm, but he had insisted that it had been a part of him for this long, it may as well stay.  
"Bucky, thank you so much, I absolutely love it" She said, moved almost to tears. "Oh, look at the star, it's a little piece of you I can take with me..." She said, gazing at it.  
"It really is a piece of me" He said. Tony did some work on my arm when I first came to Shield, that little star is made from one of my original arm plates that were damaged. I got him to make a little charm up from it, and embed it in there. Tony re-enforced the whole thing, so It's pretty much indestructible" He laughed. She turned her wrist, looking at the amazing piece of jewelery. Where the star was embedded the metal was cracked and distressed and then shined up to a high gloss so the little part around the star looked like the plates of his arm, the rest being a shiny white gold.  
"I love you. I can't believe how lucky I am..." She said, leaning in and kissing him.  
"I love you too" He answered. "Don't you dare cry and mess your makeup up" He said, kissing her again. "Come on, lets go show you off"  
  
  
Everyone cheered, whistled and let their party poppers off in the air when Bucky and Zara walked through the door. Zara laughed, hand on her chest in absolute disbelief that all these people would make her feel so special. Steve was the first to come give her a big hug and wish her a happy birthday, followed by Tony Stark. She thanked them all and Tony ushered them to the bar for champagne.  
"Did you like the bracelet?" Tony asked as he clinked glassed with her.  
"Absolutely love it" She said, giving him an appreciative nod.  
"Bucky thought you may wear it all the time so we toughened it up. The star was his idea when he found out I'd hung onto those plates" He said.  
"Thanks Tony. He's right I'll never want to take it off. I love it!" She said excitedly.  
The night wore on, Zara posed with friends for LOTS of photos and had plenty taken with Bucky too. It amused her greatly that neither him or Steve could get drunk no matter how many shots they did. Banner promised to look into creating a drink strong enough to give them a buzz.  
"It might burn on the way down though" he'd said, all of them erupting into laughter.  
The night was full of laughs, drinks and stories. Zara had had a good chance to bond properly with Barton and Natasha on a more friendly level, and was surprised with how well the three of them got along. Natasha raved about how well Zara had been doing in her training.  
"She'll be replacing me before we know it" Natasha said. "I might even be able to take leave"  
Zara looked around the room and had a humble moment to herself. This was her family. She saw Steve laughing at the bar with a group of guys, if she'd ever come close to having a big brother - he was it. She smiled warmly at the thought, and took another second to glance at the beautiful bracelet Bucky had given her. The solid band was about the same width as her pinky finger, and pressed flat. She wondered how they'd managed to embed the little star. She ran her fingertip over it. This little piece of metal had been with him, possibly longer than she'd even been alive. It had fought it's way out of hell, and found it's way here. What an incredible gift.  
  
Zara said goodbye to everyone as they left and thanked them, eventually leaving her and Bucky left, Steve, Tony and Pepper.  
"Thanks so much, all of you... This was the most amazing night and I'll never forget it, ever" She smiled. Tony fist bumped her, and Steve leaned over to give her a tight hug.  
"Come on" Bucky said, standing and putting his hand out to her. "Let's get you home"  
She put her hand out and he helped her to her feet. She thanked everyone again and let Bucky lead her out. She got halfway up the hallway before she stopped to slip her shoes off. Bucky stopped her and instead scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to their room.  
"My hero" She said, putting her arm around his neck.  
"Always" He chuckled. She planted a kiss on his cheek and hung onto him tightly.  
When they got back to the room he set her down gently on her feet and unzipped her from her dress. She stepped out of her heels and took her necklace off, setting it down on the bedside table. She put her wrist out and admired her bracelet again, a smile crossing her lips.  
"You really like it?" He said, hugging her from behind.  
"I love it" she said, turning around in his arms, unbuttoning his shirt to reveal his metal arm. She held it against him to compare the metal in her star to his own metal.  
"I think it came from down here" He said, pointing at his forearm. "You'd never be able to pick the difference, Tony did a brilliant job patching me up" He said.  
"Was the damage bad?" She asked.  
"No, just a couple of cracked plates. When Tony saw them he decided they needed to be replaced." he explained. "To be honest I think he just wanted a closer look at the tech." He laughed.  
"Yep, that sounds about right" She giggled "Speaking of... Apparently we are having a meeting day after tomorrow to go over a few plans. Tony's pretty sure that the big day is about 2 weeks out, possibly sooner" Zara said, watching Bucky's expression change. There as a few moments of silence and he let out a sigh.  
"Please don't go" He said, suddenly looking pained.  
"Bucky you can't ask me that. That's like me asking you not to go."  
"I have to ask" He said, "I'll beg you if that's what it takes"  
Zara put her arms around him gently and kissed his lips tenderly.  
"Bucky, I'm going. Besides, aren't I safer with you, than left behind unprotected?" She asked, pulling her inner 'damsel in distress' out. He smiled and nodded, tightening his arms around her.  
  
  
The meeting in Coulson's new boardroom took place in the late afternoon, Tony started by announcing that most of the jets had been fitted with their bomb-release mechanisms, and most of the bombs had been manufactured. He wanted to personally check each one before they went out.  
The teams were assigned to each jet and area, the most experienced agents were assigned to the more populated bunkers.  
"Team 1 will be spread between 2 jets" Coulson said, "This team will consist of Stark, Rogers, Barnes, Romanov and Banner, along with a team of my best hand picked agents. You will be taking on what we have unanimously decided as the HQ bunker. You are also in range to help out at other sites if needed." He looked around the room as he spoke.  
"Team 2 will consist of Zara Jones, Geneva Sutherland, and Sylvia North." He said, looking up at Zara as she gave him a nod, ignoring Bucky who had tensed beside her.  
  
_Wait for it... Wait for it..._  
  
"How far away will team 1 be working from team 2?" Bucky demanded. "Why have team 2 only got three members!?"  
  
_Aaaaand there we go..._  
  
"Sargent Barnes we thought you may have some concerns. We're still placing the smaller teams, but the smaller ones will be going to unpopulated bunkers to blow ammunition stores." Coulson said is if he'd rehearsed it in his head a few dozen times. Bucky sat seething in his seat.  
"We think it's best given the circumstances that Zara is sent to an unpopulated base. They won't know where she is, she'll be away from the building, and you'll be with the others taking care of business where the muscle is needed." Coulson explained. "She probably won't even need to get off the jet."  
"Then why bring her along at all?"  
"Because she has a set of skills that may be needed, Barnes. That and she's safer on a stealth jet than in a building with a big 'Shield' sign on the front" Coulson snapped, raising his voice. "Moving on..."  
He didn't get angry very often, but when he did he made a point. Steve elbowed Bucky in the ribs is if to tell him to shut the hell up. Zara pursed her lips, disappointed that she'd miss out on the action.  
The meeting went on without any further disagreements. Weapons were decided on, what each jet would be armed with, who would pilot the jets, what the roles of 'Team 1' would be, and a brief explanation of how the bombs and diggers worked.  
When the meeting was finished, Bucky was the first to leave. Zara watched as he stood, his chair dropping to the floor and he stormed out, almost taking the door off its hinges as he forced it open without turning the handle.  
Tony rolled his eyes and Steve shot her a sympathetic look.  
"Treat you to a coffee before you go back?" He offered, kindly.  
"Thanks anyway Steve, but I think facing the music sooner rather than later is probably for the best" She sighed. "Told you he was moody"  
"Moody? I would say he's more-"  
"Can it, Stark" Steve interrupted him. "How would you feel if Pepper was going out on this mission?"  
"I wouldn't let her go" He said.  
"Then can you blame him, Tony? Really?" Came Steve's reply as he stood.  
Zara apologized to Coulson and assured him that both her and Bucky would be valuable members of their respective teams, and that she would have a talk to him.  
  
_Easier said than done..._  
  
Zara trudged down the hall as slowly as she could manage, not really wanting to discuss the matter with Bucky. He could be so frustrating and difficult. She'd spoken about this with Dr Reeves who had reminded her that he was still suffering from anger problems and PTSD. She'd said that Zara should be patient, and not get in the way if he had an outburst. Not that she thought Bucky would hurt her, if she was honest with herself, but a big, angry, super powered killer who'd lost his mind could potentially be not much fun to be around. Zara hoped he had gone back to the room, and ran a nice long hot shower. As it turns out, she was right. Well half right.  
"Hey" She called out as she walked in the door. There was no reply but the en-suite light was on and the room smelled like shampoo. Zara walked in, taking her sweater off and hanging it on the hook, she could hear him in the bathroom still. She bit her lip nervously and fiddled with the end of her long braid. He strode out seconds later in a pair of sweat pants, hair still damp. He went to the dresser and pulled out a shirt, unfolded it, and slammed it back down, the noise making Zara jump. He turned and strode towards her aggressively, she found herself backed up to the wall with nowhere to go. He slammed his hands on the wall either side of her, and leaned in.  
Zara drew in a sharp breath. This wasn't the Bucky she knew, she went over 100 things to say in her mind and the one thing that came out was "Are you okay?" She felt like a feeble idiot the second it came out. She bit her lip.  
"Am I okay? AM I OKAY!?" He snarled, slamming the wall again, his expression ferocious. He chuckled once as if breaking character before going back to angry Bucky "Do I LOOK okay to you!?"  
Zara's breath quickened. His hands were against the wall still, either side of her. She looked at each of them and then back to him. She clenched her jaw. He wouldn't hurt her, he was just... Letting out some anger...  
"I'm sorry" She said.  
"You're SORRY!?"  
"I didn't know what to say, Bucky!"  
He pushed himself away from the wall, turning away from her and running both hands through his hair in frustration.  
"What am I supposed to do, Zara?" He said, voice still raised but less aggressive than before. "I want to keep you safe. I can't."  
"Yeah I'm feeling SUPER safe here with you right now" She remarked, voice dripping with sarcasm.  
"I'm the LEAST of your worries right now." He snapped, sounding more aggressive than he meant to.  
"Look, If you're with me, you're safe, but no - you're off fighting fucking Hydra, away from me where I can't get to you if I need to. AND I don't get a say in it."  
"Bucky, it's not like that. I'm not going to be off fighting Hydra, I'm just there to help them blow up a building-"  
"Zara, NO! You have NO idea what they're capable of. What they did to you last time is a fucking cake walk compared to what's coming if they take you."  
"Don't tell me I don't know, I lived there for 5 fucking years, I KNOW -"  
"NO YOU DON'T" He roared, hurling the lamp from the dresser at the wall with impressive force. Zara ducked and shielded herself as it flew to pieces, and when she looked over her shoulder she could see the lamp stand was actually embedded in the wall like a spear. Her breathing quickened again and she shuddered, daring to look at him again.  
"You don't understand. I'm _HELPLESS_ here. I don't _DO_ helpless very well." His voice was desperate and pleading now. Zara opened her mouth to speak, and shut it again, not knowing what to say. He leaned back on the dresser, his hands shaking and if she didn't know better she thought he may break down in tears. His head was down and she heard him take a deep breath and gather himself up.  
"Bucky?" She asked, her voice meek. "I don't know what to say" He looked up and said nothing, just bit his bottom lip and shook his head.  
"I know how you feel, really I do..." She started, earning a smirk from him which she chose to ignore. "But this is my battle, and I have to fight it. It's something I caused, and I can't have everyone running out there to my rescue. I can fight if I need to" She said.  
"Okay Zara. Whatever you say." He said dismissively.  
"No, you need to listen. I can fight, I can shoot, I can back-flip off the side of a fucking building. This isn't my first rodeo, Barnes, and it won't be my last."  
He crossed his arms and raised a brow at her.  
"I've had YEARS of training, plus 5 at Hydra, almost a full year here and I've been trained by Romanov and yourself. I know how to handle myself." She said.  
"I'm not saying you don't, Zara. That's been proven time and time again. But you're also the sole target of an entire evil organization who we're about to go into the clutches of, and I'm not cool with that. Any guy would be the same if it was their girl." He said.  
"I know. I appreciate how protective you are, but this is just how it is. I don't like it any more than you do, but it beats me sitting around here waiting while my friends and loved ones put themselves at risk for me." She said. "It's bad enough I'm not part of the HQ team where I'd rather be with you guys."  
"I was mad that we wouldn't be together, but now that you mention it, being away from HQ was a smart move on Coulson's part"  
"Yes it was, you owe him an apology" She scolded, letting out a sigh. "There's no safer place for me than on a quin-jet"  
"With the stealth mode activated" He said.  
"Exactly"  
Zara was exhausted from the argument. They both stood staring at each other for a few moments before she stepped over the broken bits of lamp towards him. He put his hand out and pulled her close and just held her a while.  
  
_This was going to be a long week._


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mission time!

  
Zara fiddled with her bracelet while she sat waiting for the other girls. She had spent quite a bit of time with Sylvia and Geneva this week, they'd done their bomb drop training together, a bit of combat training and the three of them had bonded. The other members of Natasha's team had gone onto another jet, and had already been shipped off to their part of the world. It wouldn't be long till Zara and the others would be off as well, and this whole thing would be over.  
She let out a sigh, the thought of it made her tense. She ran a thumb over the little red star on her wrist and smiled.  
"Hey there Z" Came a familiar voice. Zara looked up and smiled.  
"Hey GG" She said. "Sylv with you?"  
"On her way" She said, plonking herself down in the seat next to her. The door opened and Sylvia walked in, flashing the other two girls a smile and pulling a chair up next to them. They chatted amongst themselves and the rest of the table filled up with fellow agents and specialists, all on the bomb-drop mission. The table was full, Zara glanced at her phone, he was late, like he always was.  
"Ladies and gentleman" Came his voice as Tony came through the door, holding a crate with a lid on it. He set it down on the table ever so gently and flashed everyone a teethy smile. "I have some new toys for you all" He said, taking the lid off the box, and setting it aside. "I have gathered you all here, because as you all know, you guys are going out to blow up some non-manned Hydra bunkers. Well, you're PART of the crew that are heading out to the non-manned bunkers - we obviously wouldn't fit seventy something people on a single table... And that half have already headed out... Moving on" He got sidetracked as he got lost in thought.  
"I have here a nifty device. Your job will be to drop the bombs from a safe altitude, and once the dust has settled, land your jets, do a bio-scan on the site, and take out anyone remaining - if there is anyone that is. Which there shouldn't be, but you just never know with Hydra" He explained.  
"These little babies" He said, holding up something which looked like a metal ping-pong ball. "Are your best friend. Those of you who happen to end up at sites which are deeper than anticipated, might need a bit more firepower. You pull the pin, just like a grenade" He said,  "And simply toss it either onto, or into your structure. It will then release a drill piece whichever side is closest the ground, and rapidly dig. They explode at a depth of about 50ft, so you don't wanna be standing above them when they blow." He explained, pulling the pin out and holding it up so everyone could see the cone-shaped drill piece come out and spin.  
"Of course this one isn't armed, but by all means pass it around and have a look. Any questions?"  
There were lots of impressed nods and murmurs as the grenade demos were passed around.  
"How many will be assigned to us?" Came a mans voice from across the room.  
"More than enough" Tony said. "And we'll be taking inventory before jets leave and keeping track of how many blow. This means you, Johnson!" He said, pointing at another man and letting out a chuckle. Zara smirked, having heard Tony ranting about this guy before.  
  
  
  
Bucky had been in one of his moods that morning, so Zara was happy to see him looking a bit happier when she got back to their room. He was sitting on the floor and there were knives, ammo, guns and bits of guns everywhere  
"Hey Buck" She said, kissing him on the cheek. "What'cha doing?"  
"Hey." He said, a satisfied smile on his face. "Just working out what I'm taking tomorrow. Tony's got us all kitted up for firepower, but I always carry a few favorites."  
"How many?"  
"You'd be surprised how many weapons you can conceal on your body" He chuckled. "I'll share my secrets with you one day. How was your demo?" He asked.  
"Yeah good, he showed us the self-digging grenade things. Clever little invention" She said, kneeling down beside him, picking up a knife and flipping it in her hand and pointing it at him. He looked up and her and raised a brow.  
"Yeah that's right, Barnes. Remember who's boss here" She said, putting her 'tough face' on. Bucky reached over and picked up a bigger knife and flipped it twice as fast, tossed it, caught it with the opposite hand and threw it at the wall an inch to the right of the lamp stand which was still in there without taking his eyes off Zara's. one corner of his mouth curved into a smug smile and he raised a brow at her.  
  
_Such a fucking show off._  
  
Zara shook her head and laughed. She went to stand but he pulled her back down into his lap and kissed her, both of them smiling against each others' lips and pausing a moment.  
"You have really pretty eyes" she said, making him knit his brows in confusion.  
"Where do you come out with these things?" He chuckled  
"I've always thought you had pretty eyes, and they look especially blue today" She observed.  
"You're so cute" He laughed  
"Call me cute again, and I'll throw you off another cliff" She said, poking her tongue out.  
"Poke that tongue out and we'll have to put it to good use" He threatened. She poked it out again, making him rise to his feet and sling her over his shoulder.  
"Bucky! No!" She giggled.  
"No?"  
"No! I gotta pack" She said apologetically. He set her down on her feet.  
"Rain-check?" He asked, still holding her waist and trailing kisses up her neck.  
"Absolutely" She breathed.  
"What time are you flying out tomorrow?" He asked  
"Early in the morning, we're leaving at 0300 and our drop is scheduled for 0530 hours local time" She said. "What about yours?"  
"We must be nearby, that's good news" He said, his face lighting up. We fly out at 0330 hours, drop time is the same for us and everyone else in the region."  
"See, you were worried for nothing" She teased.  
"No, I was worried for good reason and I still am." He said, his face taking on a serious expression.  
"Relax. My mission's a hell of a lot easier than yours."  
"I'm also a super soldier with a cybernetic arm and 70+ years of killing under my belt, not including the war. I'm also twice your size." He said, keeping his voice low.  
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" She asked, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest. He put his arms around her and held her tightly.  
  
Zara dug her tactical combat gear out of the wardrobe back at her own room and brought it back to Bucky's. She had everything she needed. There were meetings late that afternoon to make sure everyone knew what their roles were, any changes in plans were discussed and weapons were assigned and packed onto each quin-jet. All that was left was to get a good nights sleep and be there bright and early, half an hour before their flight time to sign in, strap their weapons on and get going.  
  
_It's all happening..._  
  
Zara looked at her watch, when she did the math, it was only 10 hours before she would be on her jet, taking off. 9 and a half hours before she had to be back here. Up and out of bed in 8 and a half hours...  
  
_Shit..._  
  
She found Bucky in the crowd, and together they headed back to the room, laid out their clothes for the morning and ordered dinner to come to the room. Bucky flicked through channels and they settled on some crime drama which they watched while they ate. Bucky picked apart all the actions of the serial killer as they watched, Zara wasn't sure whether to be amused or disturbed.  
"I'm glad you're on my side" She muttered, earning a laugh from him.  
"I'm glad I'm on your side too" He said, leaning over, pinning her back onto the couch and kissing her.  
"Although I could have taken down any of those bozo's" She giggled.  
"I know you could" He said. "But I'd like to have the pleasure of taking down anyone that tried to hurt you."  
"That's very sweet... I think" Zara said, knitting her brows. "I don't think they'd last long enough to face the wrath of Bucky Barnes though"  
"Lucky for them" he said, kissing her neck. Something in his words sent a chill up her spine.  
"We're going to have to jump into bed soon" She said softly to him as the kisses continued.  
"I was hoping you'd say that" He said, his mouth moving to hers, making her giggle.  
"Come on, lets clear this mess up and we'll get ready for bed"  
They cleared up the plastic and scraps from dinner, brushed their teeth and Zara washed her face while Bucky turned the living room lights off and locked the door. She stood by the bedside in the dark, setting the alarm on her phone to wake them in the morning, and then sat it in it's charging dock. She caught Bucky's eyes on her when her sight adjusted to the dark of the room, pulling her tank top off over her head and crawling across the mattress to him. He had lifted the quilt for her, and when she was arms length away he pulled her in, her back to his chest and held her a few moments, stroking her upper arm gently. She finally let herself relax in his arms, only just realizing how tense she actually was.  
"That's better" He whispered softly, smiling against her skin.  
"Sorry" She said, "I didn't even realize"  
"Glad I could help"  
She rolled over so she was facing him, running her hands up his muscular back and pressing herself into him. Her lips met his for a steamy kiss that he returned eagerly.  
"This might help a little, too" She said in between kisses.  
"Happy to oblige"  
  
  
  
The morning came quickly, and it was one of those situations where Zara felt like she's had her eyes closed for 5 minutes before the alarm went off. She groaned as she got out of bed, suddenly gripped with nerves when she realized today was THE day.  
"Morning" Bucky said, leaning over to kiss her. She missed his cue, heading straight for the shower, washing her hair, and wrestling it back in a tight french braid. She walked out of the bathroom over to where he was standing in the kitchen.  
"You alright?" He asked, raising a brow.  
"Yeah, just need coffee" She said, walking over to the machine.  
"It's on" He said, kissing her on the cheek as he walked past her. "I'm going for a shower"  
"Okay, I'll make you one" She said, getting 2 cups out. She clasped her watch onto her right wrist while she waited for the machine to finish pouring the drinks and despite herself, she put some makeup on and it seemed to settle the nerves a little.  
She handed Bucky a coffee when he finished dressing and they sat quietly together. Zara was not a morning person by any means, and he cut her some slack for it. She glanced at her watch again.  
"You need to relax" He said, finally growing tired of her jumpiness.  
"I am relaxed" She retorted. "Just sleep deprived" she said as she finished her cup and made her way to the kitchen to rinse it. He grabbed her by the wrist and stopped her, sitting her down on his lap.  
"Zara" He said, looking into her blue eyes. "I know you" His voice was soft but she left like she was being told off. She let out a deep breath.  
"It's okay to have nerves before a mission isn't it? Especially a big one?"  
"Absolutely, but when you step onto that tarmac, you need to be cool, and you need to be focused. Right now you are neither of which."  
Zara nodded, he was right. He was always right.  
  
  
  
A quin-jet took off overhead, followed by another two a few minutes later. Zara watched in amazement as their stealth modes were set, the jets seemingly disappearing before her eyes as they took off into the dark morning sky. They were truly amazing machines. Zara signed in and met up with the other girls. An ammunition team strapped all sorts of guns and knives to them, including a set of Tony's miniature digging grenades. Zara glanced at her watch, their takeoff time was only minutes away. Bucky had caught her eye from across the hanger and made his way over to her, looking her up and down.  
"You look hot" He said, his voice flirty and cocky.  
"You would say that, now that I have guns strapped all over me" She laughed.  
"Zara, let's go!" Came Sylvia's voice from behind her.  
"Remember what I said last night. Relax and for God's sake stay safe" He said, pulling her into a tight hug.  
"I will. You too, Bucky."  
He pulled away from her, taking her face in both of his hands and looking intently into her eyes.  
"I love you, Zara" He said, kissing her then and there, not caring who saw.  
"I love you too" She said, returning the kiss.  
"Zara!" Came Sylvia's voice again.  
"Be careful, I'll see you tonight" She said, giving him a nervous smile as she stepped away. She stopped in her tracks and turned back, and kissed him again, making him smile. She jogged to her jet and climbed the ladder, the hatch closing behind her. She sat in the front next to Sylvia who was piloting, and waved to Bucky as they took off.  
  
_This is it..._  
  
  
The quin-jet rose to altitude, and shot off at high speed, sucking Zara into her seat. She watched Sylvia at the controls like a seasoned pro, cool calm and collected. Zara found herself passing the time by asking lots of questions about the jet and Sylvia explained the basic mechanics of it with enthusiasm.  
"I'd give you a proper lesson if I wasn't under orders" Sylvia smiled at Zara.  
"Oh god no, I wouldn't dream of asking for a go. I'm tempted to put my hand up for the next round of training. It seems pretty basic though from what I can see!" She said.  
"They're a piece of cake to fly. The only tricky parts are the stealth mode, and the weapons deployment. Once you have the hang of it though it's not too bad. Almost like a cross between a fighter jet and a helicopter" She beamed.  
"I can't say I've flown either" Zara chuckled. "I'm pretty handy in a car though"  
"Yeah?"  
"Yeah I've done a few advanced driving certificates" she shrugged.  
"Through Shield?"  
"No, my parents signed me up as a teen. I'd done all 5 before I went for my learners permit"  
"Is that allowed?"  
"A lot of things I did growing up weren't allowed." She said, her voice darkening. "It gave me a leg up in this line of work, but it's not something I talk about much" She said, giving a genuine smile.  
Geneva was quiet in the back, save for rummaging through a few boxes.  
"You okay Gen?"  
"Yeah Sylv, just checking out our gear. We have three bio-scanners, plus a spare and spare power packs, we've got a crate of those grenades, and another crate of guns... Loaded guns by the looks of it." She said, closing the lids back up and getting back in her seat.  
Zara glanced at her watch, Bucky, Steve and the others would be in the air by now. She played with her bracelet, running a thumb over the star.  
The ride in the jet wasn't as long as she thought it would be, the more she worried, the quicker the time seemed to go. They talked about flying quin-jets, went over the mission itself about a hundred times, there was the girly chit-chat, and the ladies had wanted to know all about Bucky. More than what Zara was willing to share. The thought made Zara giggle again.  
The jet began to slow as they neared the bunker, and before they knew it they had slowed to a stop, and were hovering over what looked like an old run down shed, much less a millitary bunker.  
"Are you sure this is it?" Zara whispered.  
"Absolutely" Sylvia answered in her normal tone. "And no, they can't hear us any more than they can see us" She said as if reading Zara's mind. Zara glanced at her watch.  
  
_8 minutes till drop time._  
  
 She squirmed in her seat. Geneva passed her a bio scanner which she was told not to activate till the bomb was dropped. Apparently sending out laser beams and signals was not a good thing to do whilst trying to stay hidden...  
  
_4 minutes to drop time._  
  
Safeties were taken off their guns, extra grenades were taken and Sylv started to go through the processes of arming the bomb.  
  
_1 minute..._  
  
Zara took a deep breath.  
"Ready ladies?" Silvia called out.  
"Ready!" Gen and Zara both called out.  
Sylvia pulled up a little flap on the control button and flicked a switch, there was a 'clunk' as the bomb was dropped, and then their jet shot up in the air, out of blast range. The explosion wasn't especially huge, not like she was expecting, but it had inflicted a lot of damage. Zara's mind went to Bucky and Steve, their bomb would have dropped and all hell would be breaking out right at this moment. HQ would be like a war zone.  
  
_Be safe..._  
  
The jet started to descend, and the three hand held bio scanners were activated. The jet landed on the ground and the hatch opened. Zara handed Sylvia her scanner and led the way out of the hatch. The hole in the ground was much deeper than any of them had guessed it would be. Tony hadn't been kidding when he said they were quite deep down. The three of them separated and each took a third of the bunker and began scanning. Nothing was coming up, this was good news.  
"Got a reading! Fire in the hole!" Geneva called, throwing a grenade down into the depths of the bunker.  
There was a huge explosion as big sections of the ground dropped out from under them. They ran like hell and another explosion went off. One of the girls must have thrown another grenade. Zara's bio-scanner went crazy, and her stomach turned over when she saw soldiers crawling out of the base. She pulled the pins out of two of her grenades, hurling them at the bunker. Gunfire rang out, snapping her into action as she pulled an automatic handgun from the holster on her back, killing three Hydra soldiers. There was more gunfire, followed by a blood curdling scream, and then silence. Zara pressed her hand to her earpiece.  
"Sylvia, Geneva what is your status"  
More gunshots rang out, Zara found herself running into the firing line taking out another 6 soldiers, and when her ammo ran out she threw a dagger to kill a seventh. She ran past him, pulling her dagger back out.  
"Geneva!!" She called, pressing her ear piece. "Sylvia!"  
"I've been shot, need cover" Came Sylvia's voice.  
"Hang on Sylv, coming to get you" Zara answered. A man grabbed her from behind and she managed to use his weight against him, throwing him to the ground. he fought hard, hitting her hard in the face making her see stars for a moment. She pulled a knife out and dragged it swiftly across his throat, took his gun and ran, shooting as she went.  
"Geneva, do you read me?" She tried again, desperately. No answer came. She pulled the pin from another grenade and threw it over her shoulder, covering her tracks.  
"I'm right in front of you, another 12 feet" Sylvia's voice came over the comms. Zara's heart sank, she was expecting a bullet hole, but not this. There wasn't much left of her right arm below the elbow, it was gruesome. Sylvia's beautiful face was pale and she was cold.  
There was more gunfire, Zara ducked her head as more soldiers came out.  
"I'm gonna get you outta here" Zara said, not sure if she believed her own words. "Have you heard from Gen?" She asked. Sylvia shook her head. Zara took her sweater off and wrapped it around Sylvia's arm, she had to slow the blood flow or she wouldn't survive.  
"Za-- neva--- beh --- unker. Hydr-- "  
Zara's stomach turned over.  
"Go!" Sylvia demanded. Zara stood and ran, the second she rose to her feet there were gunshots. She hurled another grenade at them and pulled a shotgun from her holster and started shooting as she ran. Another big explosion knocked her off her feet as she ran, desperately looking for her friend. She rolled and got straight to her feet, running again.  
"Geneva! Geneva do you copy!?" She called into her comm. She waited a few moments and tried again.  
"Geneva I can't find you!!" She screamed into the com, keeping low. More bullets flew at her and she found herself panicking again.  
  
_Fuck, fuck, FUCK!!!_  
  
She returned fire, taking care not to get herself shot. Sylvia was down, Geneva was missing, and the closest Shield operative was more than half a hour's flight away. A super quick quin-jet flight at that too. She returned another two gunshots, seeing a soldier drop out in front of her, and fall into the bunker. She pat her hip and found she was out of grenades.  
  
_Shit! This is not good._  
  
She wasn't sure whether to risk flying Sylvia back to the HQ base where Steve's team could take her, possibly bring one them back here to help? No, they would surely have enough to deal with there.  
"Geneva!" She tried into her comm again. She didn't know at what point she should give up on finding Geneva, and get Sylvia to safety.  
Nobody was to be left behind. As cruel as it sounded, you were better off to die in battle than be captured healthy by these assholes. Zara hoped Geneva had grenades on her, then maybe she'd have a chance of getting them both out of there in one piece. If she could get them both on the jet, they'd activate the entire crate of grenades and drop them all onto the bunker. From the quin-jet she could also call Stark to come do a fly-by.  
She kept low as she scoured the area, the more she shot, the easier they could track her whereabouts. There were far too many of them for her to try and take on, so it became a game of hide and seek.  
  
_Stay hidden, rescue Gen, get both her and Sylvia on the quin-jet, take off, call for help..._  
  
She repeated this in her head over and over again.  
"Zara!" Came the very frightened voice of her friend.  
"Gen, where are you, girl?" Zara pleaded.  
"I'm in the grass"  
"Where, Geneva!?"  
"I don't know. I'm hurt" Geneva choked out. Zara thought it best to keep her talking.  
"How are you hurt, babe?"  
"The blast"  
She sounded weak. Zara hoped it wasn't from one of her grenades. There were more gunshots which Zara ducked and it took everything in her not to rip her gun from it's holster and blow them all to pieces. She kept scanning the area, looking for anything, blood, shreds of clothing, anything.  
"Geneva?" She tried again. A few coughs came through the comm in reply. She kept scanning and saw something up ahead, relief flooded through her body when she realized it was Gen, crouched behind a small shrub, until she saw that she was flanked by what looked like 2 Hydra soldiers.  
"I'm still here Zara" came her frail voice. She sure didn't LOOK frail. She was actually smiling. Zara's breath quickened, but she had to make sure...  
"Are you okay? There are soldiers everywhere, are you safe?"  
"I'm alone, but I can't move. I think my leg is broken"  
Zara's stomach turned over.  
  
_No fucking way... Now we're in real deep shit..._


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FEELS!!! So much going on in this chapter! Next chapter will be out in the next couple of days, and will be the last one. For now. I am halfway through writing it as we speak. Super excited to get the sequel started, so bear with me :)  
> Gotta say a HUGE thank you, every time I log in there seems to be a ton of new hits, a few new kudos on my story every day and all the comments have been awesome. Love you all lots, thanks for keeping me motivated!  
> Luv Kaytee xoxo

  
  
_Steady, steady... You can do this... Think!_  
  
Zara squinted at her watch, it was still early, they had at least 10 minutes of darkness on their side before the sun came up, maybe 15 if they were lucky. The jet was still in stealth mode but it wouldn't take a genius to work out where it was parked if she didn't run for it, right now. She's get back to Sylvia, get her on the jet, and call for help.  
She kept low in the long grass and hurried back without making a sound, her irrational side hoping that her thumping heart wouldn't give her away.  
"Zara" Came Geneva's voice in her ear. Zara clenched her jaw, she'd never wanted to rip someone's head from their body so badly. Her thinking Zara didn't know was the only thing keeping soldiers from swarming, so she had to play along.  
"I'm having trouble finding you, I'm heading west towards the bunker, is the coast clear?" She said convincingly. There was no answer. She couldn't call Sylvia and warn her either, as the Geneva would hear.  
She looked for Sylvia for a few minutes and finally found her, cursing at herself for taking so long. She put her finger to her mouth to tell Sylvia to be quiet, and Zara pulled her earpiece from her ear, instructing Sylvia to do the same.  
"We have to go" Zara said quietly.  
"Geneva?" Sylvia asked.  
"She's Hydra. We need to call for backup" Zara said. She helped her friend to her feet. "Can you get to the jet alone?" She asked. Sylvia nodded.  
"Good. Get in there, call for help. I need grenades and guns." Zara said, taking charge. Sylvia shook her head.  
"Zara, no. They're here for YOU. We're outnumbered 100 to 1, there's no winning this for us, it's death or capture. We have to call for help, and run like hell. This is a Stark and Rogers job, not a Jones and North"  
"We'll be blown out of the sky" Zara argued.  
"Got any other ideas?" Sylvia came back. Zara wracked her brain and came up with nothing. No matter how much she hated to run from a fight, Zara finally nodded in agreeance, and ran to the jet with Sylvia.  
They opened the hatch and climbed in, Zara stocking up on weapons and grenades just in case.  
"Shield tower this is jet 14 Sylvia North 68832, Do you read me?" She said into the mic.  
"This is Shield tower reading you jet 14, what is your status?" Came the reply.  
"Shield tower, we have an emergency situation, requesting immediate backup. Repeat, requesting IMMEDIATE backup"  
"Help is already on it's way. Sit tight, don't go anywhere." Came the voice. "We saw you guys were in a bit of trouble"  
"Understatement of the year..." Zara muttered, taking her hand away from the start button. They looked out the window and saw more soldiers coming from the hole in the ground.  
"They're like fucking roaches, they just don't die..."  
Zara glanced over at Sylvia, she'd never heard her swear before.  
"I can't just sit here, who knows when help will get here!? The soldiers are getting closer!" Zara said, unbuckling herself, and filling a bag with what was left of Tony's grenades. Sylvia didn't have the energy to argue with her.  
Zara stepped out of the hatch, shielding her eyes from the brightness of the rising sun. It gave off a red glow, which under different circumstances she would have found quite beautiful.  
The hole in the ground was giving off it's own glow as the people in the depths of the bunker tried desperately to extinguish the flames within.  
Zara ran to where she'd seen Geneva and the others, pulling the pin and hurling a grenade as hard as she could, the resulting screams - music to her ears.  
  
_Suck on that, bitch..._  
  
The ground shook beneath her feet, and she wobbled as she stepped away from it as it began giving way below her. She took off running again, the ground dropping out beneath her feet with every stride. Her lungs had never burned so bad but she didn't care, she was in her element watching these guys suffer.  
The gunfire started up again in the direction she'd thrown the grenade. Zara smiled, this was exactly what she had wanted - to lead them away from the jet. Her hand shot into her backpack again and pulling another pin, hurling it across where it blew up on the other side of the bunker. A bullet grazed her shoulder and she dropped to the ground. She had gotten careless. She pulled the automatic rifle from her back and returned fire aggressively. She risked a look at her watch, and her thoughts went back to Sylvia who had been alone in the jet for close to ten minutes. Zara threw two more grenades, one in each direction and turned to run, shooting another 2 Hydra soldiers on her way back to the jet. She climbed in, and closed the hatch, thanking her lucky stars that none of the soldiers had found it before them. Sylvia was still alive, but not in a good way, the makeshift tourniquet wasn't doing much. She was dropping in and out of consciousness, she had to get her out of here, and fast.  
Zara buckled them both in, and started the jet.  
  
_Thank god I watched her do all this..._  
  
They hovered for a moment and Zara quickly found the control to make it rise off the ground. She made a mental note to sign herself up for a pilot class. More gunshots rang out, and there were a few 'twangs' of bullets hitting the jet as they rose.  
There was more gunfire, and the jet rattled, opening up an all out assault on them. Zara hit the throttle hard, turning as she went to get them outta there as quickly as she could when she felt like the jet shake again, violently this time. The cabin filled with smoke and the jet spun as Zara wrestled with the controls with all her strength to straighten it back out. Another hit saw them hurtling towards the sideways with no hope of stopping. Zara braced for impact...  
  
When she opened her eyes there was dust and smoke everywhere, she could feel heat coming from behind her. She winced as she undid her seat belt and hit the ground as she fell, landing hard. The jet was on it's side, there was no sign of Sylvia, she wasn't strapped into her seat.  
  
_Oh no..._  
  
She looked up at the hole in what was now the top of the jet, beside where Sylvia had been sitting and could hear gunfire and movement up there. She pulled her pistol out of it's holster on her thigh and pointed it at the hole from her spot on the ground while she steadied her breathing. She held onto it with two hands to steady the shakes as she waited to fight. If this wasn't being backed into a corner, she didn't know what was.  
  
_"Get up and fight... Get UP"_  
  
She clenched her jaw and stumbled to her feet, wincing again as she did. She moved to the back of the jet, looking under the debris, it was clear Sylvia wasn't in here with her. Zara's heart sank, she hoped that she hadn't been ejected in the crash. Zara swallowed hard and took the Magnum from her other thigh holster, and unloaded two shotgun shells into the windscreen of the jet, holstering it again and kicking the rest of the glass out with her heavy combat boots. She wasted no time in crawling out, gun pointed ahead of her. She crouched and made her way away from the jet, coughing into her forearm as she went. More gunshots rang out around her, Zara raised her gun again to start shooting as a pack of Hydra soldiers stormed towards the jet she had been in minutes ago, disappearing behind it.  
There was some kind of ruckus and a body flew through the air, hitting a nearby tree with a sickening crack. More soldiers came in from the side, Zara managing to pick them off with her pistol from where she was, swapping back to the shotgun when she ran out of ammo to take the last two down.  
There was silence, but Zara didn't dare drop her gun. Her breath quickened again as the jet was rolled back onto it's belly, sending up a cloud of dust and smoke, more shots ringing out from behind her. She turned and fired towards the gunshots, not being able to see much in the dust and as pure luck would have it, his shots missed her. The shooter's gun shot till it clicked, angering him. He hurled it at her and she managed to deflect it. He ran at her, and she grit her teeth, stood and ran at him, pulling a dagger out from the pouch at her hip. He was a formidable opponent, easily a foot taller than her, and at a guess had a 100 pound weight advantage too. She used his weight against him, flipping him onto his back, only for him to spring back to his feet, and tackle her to the ground where he pinned her and hit her twice - once in the face and once in the side. Zara struggled against him, he was straddling her with one hand pinned to her body and the other over her head. He pulled out a walkie talkie and said something in it in a foreign language and gave her a smile that made her feel sick.  
There was a bang and his face went from creepy smile to blank and he slumped onto her. She had managed to find her gun on her thigh with the hand that was under him, and aimed a shot straight up. She'd gotten lucky.  
The heavy body of her attacker was ripped off her as if it weighed nothing. Zara pointed her gun up again from the flat of her back, which was grasped by a man standing over her with a metal hand.  
  
_A metal hand!?_  
  
Bucky crouched over her protectively, examining the bleeding cut in her hairline with a worried look on his face. She'd never been happier to see someone in her life.  
"Zara... Are you alright?"  
"I think so, are you?" Breathing a sigh of relief.  
He nodded and looked over his shoulder, Steve was out there doing what he could to take out as many Hydra soldiers as possible.  
"Can you stand?" Bucky asked. Zara nodded and Bucky put his hand out to help her to her feet. She ejected the magazine from her handgun, slamming a new one in.  
Bucky fired his shotgun, four clear shots ringing out, and Zara watched as four soldiers dropped like flies.  
"Follow me!" He called as they made their way through the scrub, stopping again when they found shelter.  
"We came as soon as we heard" Bucky said apologetically, cupping her face and kissing her.  
"Geneva sold us out, we had no chance" She said, her voice cracking, "I don't even know what happened to Sylvia, I tried to save her. We got shot down on takeoff"  
"We got her out, she's going to be okay" He said, checking over his shoulder systematically. "I saw the whole thing" He frowned, giving her hand a squeeze. "You scared me"  
Zara leaned in and kissed him again, hanging onto him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her protectively, looking over his shoulder again towards the gunshots as they got closer.  
"What's going on at HQ?" She asked.  
"Most of the soldiers are here at this base, we had HQ flattened in minutes. We got the call that you guys needed us, so Steve and I rushed down here. Banner and Stark are still down there, finishing up." He said.  
"Thanks for coming" Zara smiled up at him.  
"I couldn't leave ya" He said fondly, one corner of his mouth curving into a half-smile, "Come on, lets get you out of here" He said. Zara nodded in agreement and thumbed the safety off her fresh gun. They both stood and Bucky led the way back to their jet, shooting as he went. Zara looked over her shoulder as she ran and saw Steve on the other side of the bunker fighting like crazy, with more soldiers coming for him.  
"Bucky!" She called out over the gunfire and pointed. She pulled a grenade from her pouch and ran back towards him.  
"God-damn it, Zara!" She heard Bucky yell from behind her. She ignored him and started shooting, taking some of the heat off Steve. She pulled the pin on the grenade and threw it over to where the soldiers were coming out from, keeping her had down as she ran to shield herself from the explosion. This gave Steve the edge and took out a good 30% of his attackers, which he gave her a smile and a quick wave of gratitude for. A huge chunk of the ground had given way and opened up beneath them, and they had to really move it to outrun it. Zara skidded to a stop, pulling the assault rifle off her back and picking off a heap of soldiers, Bucky backing her up and keeping the heat off her.  
  
_We really do make a good team..._  
  
Zara paused to eject the magazine and slam a new one in when she noticed a loud 'beep, beep, beep' coming from underground. It got faster and louder as it went.  
"Buck?" She said, turning to him, fear in her eyes. His worried expression showed that he'd heard it too. He lunged at her, wrapping his arms tight around her and shielding her face with his metal arm. There was a huge explosion that threw them both through the air, Bucky taking the hit when they slammed violently into the trunk of a thick tree.  
Bucky woke surrounded in soldiers, he pulled his guns out and started shooting, trying to shield Zara who was still unconscious in his arms. He puffed breathlessly when they were all dead, and was quick to stand, scooping Zara up and making a run for it. He caught a glimpse of Stark flying overhead, no doubt he'd have something big and explosive in his artillery.  
Zara groaned in his arms, he risked a glance down at her, she had opened her eyes and was fighting hard to stay awake. She put her arms around his neck and hung on tightly, supporting herself made it easier for Bucky to run them out.  
  
*****  
  
Bucky was desperate now to get her out of there, he could hear Steve running behind him. They had to get out of there. It would be one thing to stay behind and fight but he had to keep her safe. He'd promised it to her, and he wasn't going back on that. He wouldn't loose her, not like this.  
Bucky ducked his head and didn't dare slow down when he heard gunfire up ahead until he heard a loud yell from Steve behind him, followed by another ground-shaking explosion right in front of him which knocked them to the ground once again.  
Zara looked up at him, having gotten her bearings back, somewhat. Their jet had been blown, which had been their only way out.  
"It's just not our day, is it?" She croaked out, shaking her head.  
Bucky stood up, hands out to carry her, and she put her hand up to protest.  
"I'm okay" She said as she stumbled to her feet, wincing and holding her side. Bucky steadied her with one arm and he pulled his gun out and thumbed the safety off.  
"You sure?" He asked, concern in his eyes, placing a hand on her shoulder. She gave a single nod, followed by a couple of coughs, blood coming up. She wiped her lips, pulling her last pistol from her thigh holster.  
"Lets go" She said, motioning back towards where Stark was floating over the bunker. They could see Steve near him, helping him fight them off.  
Zara followed Bucky back through the scrub, close enough that he could hear her shadowing him. A soldier jumped out ahead of him, stopping him in his tracks as he took him on, followed by another. Bucky made light work of them turning to make sure Zara was okay. He shot her a smile as she quickly closed the gap between them, only for her eyes to widen in horror as she gasped and shoved him aside, hard, and raised her gun.  
He barely had time to react, even at super soldier speed as she shot her gun at the Hydra soldier not once, but three times. She had saved his life. Bucky wheeled around with his gun raised and in seconds made sure this guy was the only nearby threat.  
He let out a breath of relief, that had been too close. He turned to face her, unsure what to make of her expression as she dropped her gun to the ground. She knitted her brows as if she was struggling to think of what to say, and raised a hand to her side, up under her arm.  
That was when Bucky saw the red on her hands and panicked as she dropped to her knees, gasping again for a breath.  
"Zara, NO!! No, no, no, baby..." He panicked, scooping her up as fast yet as gently as he could. Bucky felt like his heart was in his throat, time really was against them now. He caught a glimpse of Tony near the mouth of the bunker and ran her over there, calling out to him. Steve caught up to Bucky and went pale at the sight of them.  
"Set her down, don't move her!" Steve ordered.  
There were tears in her eyes as she looked up at them, unsure of what might happen. She looked terrified.  
"He got her under her arm, the only gap in the fucking vest!" Bucky snarled, putting pressure on the wound as best he could.  
"I'll get Stark!" Steve said, running towards Tony.  
"Hold on baby. We'll get you outta here." He reassured her. He had seen people with these kind of injuries before, he had been responsible for most of them, and they usually didn't end well. Trembling, he took her hand.  
Zara had never seen Bucky Barnes look afraid before. She'd never felt his hand shake, or his eyes glaze over.  
  
_This must be bad..._  
  
Steve was desperately trying to flag Stark down, he was their only way out now.  
"Bucky..." She choked out, tears running down her face.  
"I'm here, baby" He said, brushing them away from her face. She forced a smile.  
"I love you so, so much" She said. Bucky shook his head.  
"No, don't you start talking like that, Zara, we're going to get you outta here and you're going to be just fine..."  
"Bucky..." She choked out, her voice weak. "Bucky, kiss me..."  
He knitted his brows together, that look of fear and desperation in his eyes again. He leaned down and kissed her ever so gently on the lips, and when he pulled away, her eyes were closed.  
"Zara?" He asked. "Zara!?!?!" He started CPR on her, desperately trying to revive her. Tony had made his way over. The soldiers were dead, and the only sound left was the crackling of flames and the groan of metal beneath them in the underground bunker.  
"The suit's damaged, I don't have much power left" He said on landing, without looking. "We gotta get outta here, backup's on the way..." He trailed off. When he finally did look, his heart sank.  
"Oh, ZeeJay..." He sighed with a heavy heart, kneeling beside Bucky. She wasn't responding. Tony looked over at Steve and gave his head a gentle shake. It was all over.  
Steve placed a gentle hand on Bucky's shoulder, pulling him back but Bucky wouldn't have any of it, he swung his metal arm sending Rogers flying.  
"I CAN SAVE HER!" He roared aggressively. Tony managed to run a quick scan over her body, confirming what everyone already knew.  
"Barnes... " He said softly. Bucky stopped the compressions and hung his head, letting out a blood curdling scream, followed by tears. He clutched Zara close into his chest, cradling her head softly and broke down crying. Steve had come back over to stand by Bucky, arm around him, not really sure what to say. He looked up to Tony through glazed eyes, and clenched his jaw.  
The metal in the underground bunker below them started to groan, threatening to give way at any moment.  
"Bucky..." Steve said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. He laid Zara back down on the ground, and wiped the rest of the blood and tears from her beautiful face. He turned to face Steve, eyes red with tears and an expression so full of hate and anger. Bucky's jaw clenched and his fists tightened, making the arm recalibrate. Steve hadn't seen that look on his face since the helicarrier fight.  
"I'm sorry Barnes..." Tony started, Bucky ignoring him. The sounds of jets approaching overhead got louder, along with the groaning of the metal under them as the ground started trembling again. Tony fired up his thrusters and grabbed Steve who hung onto Bucky in time for the ground to drop out from under them and they hovered for a moment. Bucky watched Zara's body fall, swallowed up by the Hydra bunker.  
He hung his head and let his body go limp. He had failed her.  
  
  
  
  



	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath of the mission here, a funeral, Bucky falls apart, and then finds purpose in a new mission. Enjoy!
> 
> Yay, last chapter is here for you guys! Was going to wait to upload it, but I have a bit of spare time being home this week sick, so thought I'd finish it up for you. There is a sequel coming, and knowing me, it will probably be up sooner rather than later, writing this has kept me occupied while I've been home :)  
> Thank you again so much for all the comments, kudos, bookmarks and all the hits. You guys are truly amazing.  
> Luv, Kaytee xoxo

  
  
Things were quiet at Shield, and the mood was sombre all around. There had been a funeral service for Zara which had had a huge turnout considering how few people she knew personally. The casket up the front of the room had been empty, as the backup team hadn't been able to recover her that day.  
Bucky stood up the back, he wore a suit and kept his head down, not saying much to anybody. Coulson, Steve, Natasha and Tony all got up to say a few words, the general consensus being what an incredibly brave person she had been, if not a little too brave at times, which had ultimately been her undoing. She had come from the worst possible background, and turned her whole life around, making friends, fighting hard for Shield, and finding love. She had died saving the life of the person she loved the most.  
Her favorite song was played, and a slideshow of photos was shown, finishing with the picture of her and Bucky at her recent birthday party. She was encased in his arms and they were pressed together, looking into each others' eyes, smiling like it was the best day of their lives.  
Bucky desperately wanted to go back to that moment, she should still be here. She should have been safe in his presence. His breathing quickened, and he had left the hall, taking his jacket and tie off, unbuttoning his shirt and rolling the sleeves up as he went. Steve had found him in the gym, pulverizing a punching bag, breaking it from the beam on the roof and continuing to lay into it on the ground.  
There was no comforting Bucky when he was like this. Steve had approached him, lay a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, and Bucky had stood and turned his aggression to Steve, lashing out and hurling him across the room like he was nothing. Steve had looked up at him, still standing in the dark by the battered punching bag, chest heaving, fists clenched, arm plates flexing. Bucky had stared him down with cold eyes. The same look he had given him on the hellicarrier that day...  
  
The next few months went the same way, Bucky had gone back to the aggressive, closed off person he was when he first came to Shield. He'd kept the pictures up of Zara that she'd placed on his shelf, and rarely left his room. He didn't speak to anyone, nor did he continue giving his classes.  
Coulson had ordered he take a few sessions with Dr Reeves, but 10 minutes into the first session he got aggressive with her, armed guards rushed in and the appointment was shut down on the spot.  
He'd ended up in a cell and Banner had had to come in to sedate him, keeping him under observation until he eventually showed some self control.  
  
Romanov had started training up a new team, using Zara as a prime example of what she was after. Strong, light, independent, a relentless fighter.  
She had become a legend in the building, an unattainable goal for most of Natasha's protege's, and as a result there a high turnover rate of pupils. Sylvia had recovered and had re-joined the team, becoming a reliable, strong second-in-charge to Natasha. Tony had fitted her with a prosthetic arm, much like Bucky's, only it only extended just above her elbow. Steve had suggested she use this as a way in to form a bond with him, but he had sneered at the offer of friendship, and when she persisted, he had threatened her.  
He didn't want to have anything to do with Sylvia, or anything that reminded him of the day he lost Zara. There was no hiding from those reminders though, her pictures hung in the common room along with the other members of the team. The video footage of her taking down Grant Ward had circulated again, thanks to one of the rookies finding it on the archives. Everywhere he turned there was someone talking about her, the stories being told over and over again. The time she threw Bucky Barnes off a cliff. The time she single handedly took down an entire Hydra base. The time she disguised herself as Hydra, and took down dozens of agents in the building takeover... And then there was the final battle, how she'd run into enemy lines to save a fellow team member, only to be double crossed, yet she was still able to fight them all off. The amount of times she'd taken a bullet for a friend or loved one... She had died fighting for and successfully protecting a super soldier.  
She was a hero.  
  
Many of the new rookies had sought Bucky out, excitedly wanting to meet him. Best friend of Captain America - Steve Rogers, and lover of celebrated Shield agent, Zara Jones. He had no patience for them, and would react accordingly with intimidation and threats. There were a few times he smashed holes in walls, and after a few encounters he earned himself a reputation as someone to be feared. All he had to do was give them a look, maybe ball a fist and flex the plates on his arm if they were persistent.  
He had tried to carry on with his life, keep his head down and mind his own business, but Bucky couldn't take it anymore. He had retreated to his apartment and not come out.  
If he heard her name mentioned one more time, he was likely to strangle the life out of someone, and despite himself, he really didn't want to to that.  
  
  
Steve made his way down the hall, stopping to knock on Bucky's door. As usual there was no response, so he swiped his all-access card.  
"Bucky, get up, I have a job for you" He announced, trying unsuccessfully as it were, to motivate him.  
Bucky turned around to look at Steve, sporting a face full of stubble, long disheveled hair and two very icy cold looking blue eyes.  
Steve suppressed a shudder, and tried to pretend it didn't bother him, instead offering a kind smile. He'd gotten Bucky out of this state once before, and he was determined to do it again. The only thing he could think of was sending him back to work. Giving him something to do to get his mind off her. Get him out in the field, away from the building and the fanfare. The poor guy had completely unraveled, Steve needed to help him find himself again, and if letting him take aggression out on Shield targets was what it took, then so be it.  
Steve cleared his throat, looking around the mess and broken things all over the room, and then back up at his friend, who stood waiting for whatever it was to be said.  
"I need your help with something... It's time to suit up." He said. Bucky shook his head and blew out an exasperated breath.  
"Seriously, Buck. I need you on this one, things are going down, so lets GO" He said, picking up the combat boots by the door and tossing them at him.  
Bucky caught the boots and threw them back aggressively, slowly making his way over to Steve, daring him to keep pushing. Steve let a long breath out, thinking carefully about his next set of words.  
"Just get out" Bucky said in a tone that was a little threatening.  
"Look, Zara wouldn't want-" Steve was cut off by Bucky lunging at him, he got out of the way just in time.  
"You have no FUCKING idea what she would want" He snarled. Steve swallowed hard.  
"There's no-one I trust more than you, Buck. I need someone I trust watching my back on this one" He reasoned.  
"The last person who trusted me with their life DIED" He said, trying to restrain himself. Steve pursed his lips, suddenly feeling guilty for pressing the matter. Bucky's face was raw anger, laced with guilt and sadness.  
"I'm sorry, Buck, I didn't mean to set you off..." He said, seeing Bucky relax a little in front of him, jaw still tense, guard still up.  
"I just want to help you pick yourself back up again. I've seen you bounce back from worse."  
"That's because I had her..." He said, almost whispering as he leaned back against the wall, defeated. "But she died because of me. It's my fault..."  
"Bucky..." Steve's heart was breaking for his best friend. He reached out slowly and gave Bucky's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. It was the first time he was able to do so without Bucky lashing out at him. It was progress.  
"It's not your fault. You couldn't tell her what to do, nobody could. Zara knew there was a risk when she stepped out in front of you. I hate it just as much as you do, and I wish there was something we could do to change what happened that day... But we can't. I went through all of this when you fell from the train. I beat myself up for it. I blamed myself - I still do. But no amount of whiskey or tears was going to bring you back." He said, Bucky nodding as he listened.  
"It hurt like hell, even now I can't think of a single thing that has hurt worse than the events of that day... But I knew I had to fight on, finish what we started." he said, his head bowed still as he recalled those painful days.  
"I know you'll come back out in the field, just know that you can talk to me any time, and you can take as long as you need. I shouldn't have pushed." He said, earning a weak smile from Bucky. It was the first smile he'd seen in 3 and a half months. More progress.  
"When you're ready, we can continue the fight we started with Zara" He said, testing the waters.  
"What the hell are you talking about?" He said, finally showing interest. Steve felt his heart warm a little.  
"There's a new threat out there, obviously trying to get our attention. A Donald and Louise Jones were found this afternoon in their house, dead. We have reason to believe they were Zara's parents." Steve explained. Bucky's interest was piqued.  
"Any more details?"  
"Her throat was slit. He looked like he'd been tortured and mutilated, left to die." Steve said. "It was pretty brutal."  
"So what's that got to do with Shield?" Bucky said, sounding somewhat callous.  
"A Shield agent was also taken down that night and one of our 'gifted' agents was attacked but got away. He said it was definitely a rogue Hydra agent out there causing trouble." Steve explained, "There's not many of them left, but they're trying to claw their way back"  
"A revenge kill would make me feel better" Bucky said somewhat darkly, giving a smile.  
  
  
It was dark the night Steve and Bucky went out looking for the the mystery murderer. They followed a lead that ended up being cold, and they wound up back at the house of Zara's parents. Bucky felt the anger rise up in his gut, thinking of how she was ripped from her bed that night... She was just a kid. He wondered how she would have felt about the murders, would she have been happy? Would she have been upset?  
They investigated the house, seeing that it had been broken into by melting part of the lock. A device Steve had seen Hydra agents use before many times. They wandered into the house, not much out of place aside blood where both of the bodies had been. Bucky found a study, and a ransacked room that looked like it once belonged to a teenager. He walked in and was surrounded by torn posters of rock bands on the walls, and amongst them on the wall was a few photos of Zara as a teenage girl, 16 or 17 years old and she was with 2 friends. Bright sparkling blue eyes, and a big smile. One of the photos she looked like she was laughing. This must have been her room. He imagined the moment in his head, her terrified screams echoed in his head. He jammed his eyes shut momentarily and forced the thought out of his mind, and when he opened them, something caught his eye.  
There were deep scratches along the headboard peeking through behind the pillows which were now sitting crooked on the bed. The were definitely from fingernails. She must have put a good fight up that night.  
He wondered to himself why her room was kept. If her parent were so quick to get rid of her, then why would they keep the room? It didn't make sense to him.  
Whoever had come in here sure did make an effort to tear the room to pieces. He picked the pillow up and followed the fingernail scratches along the headboard, dropping the pillow and freezing in his place when his eyes settled on the small object hidden there.  
Steve wandered in after he'd searched the other rooms to find his friend standing by the bed, staring at something. Bucky looked straight at him with a look that made Steve's blood run cold. He reached out with his metal hand and picked the object up, holding it in front of his eyes in disbelief.  
A very familiar white gold cuff bracelet with a red star on the front. Bucky's jaw tightened and he jammed his eyes shut, taking a deep breath to steady himself.  
Steve stood with his mouth open, he hadn't expected to see that bracelet ever again. Zara died wearing it, which means they had taken her body from the bunker.  
It became obvious very quickly that Hydra were fucking with them, perhaps trying to lure Bucky in by hitting a raw nerve. Either way it was a sick joke and he was going to gut each and every one of them, starting with this fucker who planted the bracelet for him to find.  
It was personal now.  
  
  
  
Bucky spent the next couple of months alone chasing Hydra's mystery murderer who had attacked and killed quite a few people along the way. Sometimes they were government officials, sometimes they just anti-Hydra activists, and sometimes they were people who just got in the way. Either way they were leaving a trail of blood that Bucky was determined to drown them in.  
  
He found himself on the outskirts of the city one night, it was the first snowfall of the season and it had been bitterly cold. Bucky had cursed himself once again for being one step behind the 8 ball, missing out on the capture once again, and finding yet another body. Shield had decided that because the kills had all been so targeted and precisely carried out, they would prefer if Bucky didn't kill the guy, rather bring him in for interrogation. Of course, accidents had their way of happening, and Bucky liked people to pay for their wrong-doings.  
He breathed out a frustrated sigh, watching his breath hang in the air. He couldn't remember the last time the cold had bothered him.  
  
_70 years in cryo will do that to you..._  
  
He pursed his lips and on hearing music played in the distance, decided he's go check out the bar, get a beer and maybe a counter meal. He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets, and put his head down, striding through the snow, trying to keep a low profile.  
He was almost the the door to the Irish-style pub when he noticed red in the snow down the alleyway beside the building. There wasn't much, couldn't be more than a couple of drops, and it was a wonder he'd noticed it at all. He stopped and stepped back a couple of steps, noticing another drop further along. Whoever was bleeding had tried to cover it up, but even in the dark Bucky Barnes knew fresh blood when he saw it. Hell, he'd seen enough in his life.  
The footprints left by the bleeding person were small, Bucky was suddenly worried a child may have gotten hurt which spurred him into a jog, slowing down as he stepped into a clearing and saw a scuffle between two people, a very tall, solid guy  and a much smaller, finer built person. A woman or child by the look of it. He swung a punch at her which she ducked, kneeing him in the crotch, and flipping him onto the ground with his momentum as he doubled over. Bucky sprang into action to help her when the man pulled a small dagger from his pocket, throwing it at the woman with obvious skill only for her to duck out the way, pull a gun and shoot him between the eyes at lightening speed.  
"Hey!" Bucky called out to woman with the gun. She looked over at him, face partially concealed by an over-sized hood and the shadow it threw over her features. Her lips was all that he could make out, he watched as they turned to an aggressive snarl as she lifted her gun and fired two shots at Bucky which he dodged at super soldier speed. She turned and raised an arm, shooting out the street light above them, leaving them in darkness. She took off running like hell between the buildings, Bucky running after her. He couldn't help but grin, it looked like this chick was who he had been after, and going by the size of her, she wouldn't be hard to take down.  
She was saying something he couldn't make out, it sounded like she was using a communication device of some sort. She knocked things over to block his path as they ran threw the snow in the dark, but she was no match for his speed or stamina. He caught up with her, tackling her to the snowy ground. She put up a fight, going straight into hand to hand combat, and as much as he hated to admit, she was good, and she was fast.    
He managed to pin her arms and shove her against a brick wall, no amount of skill or training was going to beat super soldier strength, a cybernetic arm and a close to 100 lb weight advantage. She jammed her eyes shut and looked away from him, ducking her head. He clenched his jaw and aggressively pulled the hood down, so he could get a good look at her. He grabbed her chin roughly and pulled it up. She squirmed in his grip again, angering him. He pulled her away from the wall, giving her a shove back into it to show her he meant business, earning a strained gasp from her as the wind was momentarily knocked from her. Her feet were off the ground, kicking for her life, making Bucky press his weight against her, one hand had found her neck. She was helpless.  
She opened her eyes and glared at him. Big bright baby blue eyes. The kind you don't forget.  
  
_No..._  
  
Bucky's mouth dropped open in disbelief as he released her from his grip. The snow crunched below her feet when she hit the ground, her chest straining as she struggled to get air into her lungs.   
"Zara?" He gasped, stepping back from her.. The pretty blue eyed girl looked up at him without saying anything. She looked thinner, paler, but it was definitely her. Under her eyes were dark circles, he wasn't sure if they were bruised or dark from utter exhaustion. Her hair was wet against her gaunt, sunken face, and her lips were purple from the cold. Her eyes were cold and full of hate and anger, staying on his, almost as if she was silently challenging him.   
He stepped in to grab her and she ducked, sticking a knife into his side. He whirled around to pull it out and as he looked back to her she had already produced a gun and fired it at him at point blank in the abdomen, before taking off running. She got to the end of the street and was pulled aggressively into a waiting unmarked van which sped off into the night.  
Bucky fell to his knees, watching the snow beneath him turn dark with blood. He sat for a few moments, breath heaving as though he'd had it knocked out of him.  
  
_She's alive. She's not 'her' but she's... Alive. THEY have her. What had they done to her, what has she gone through in this past six months? Six months since I saw her beautiful face..._  
  
Bucky suddenly started to feel light headed. It could have been shock, or the gunshot wound, most likely both, he decided. Time to get up and go.  
  
_Hang in there Zara, I'm coming for you..._


End file.
